Goku's Humored
by LauraNeatO
Summary: During the Grand Tour, one marital predicament between Goku, Trunks, and Pan spurs a chain of events that COMPLETELY revamp, modify, and expand GT to create a comedic and dramatic tale of Pan learning to grow and mature before her time.
1. After Escaping M2

Note: To all those new and upcoming readers, I'd like to write a personalized author's note regarding my story. As you may very well see, the story is incredibly long, intricately detailed, and involves a great deal of character rounding that is only evident if you read every individual chapter.

Due to the sake of it being such an enormous work, one may be tempted to skip or skim ahead several chapters due to sheer impatience. I do NOT recommend such an act. A great deal happens within each chapter, and a LOT of little subliminal and forshadowing messages are included everywhere. It's one thing to speed-read a short story, but this is a _novel_. And, just as you don't skip ahead 5 chapters in a novel, please show the same respect to this work, if not for me, than for yourself. The story is purposely written the way it is in order to make it flow and to portray convincing character development.

Now with that said, onto the official...

**ANNOUNCEMENTS!**

(1) This fic is actually rated T, except the _second half of the Baby Saga _(beginning with Chapter 50)_ is rated M. _

I'll repeat it again. The Baby Saga, and ONLY the Baby Saga, is rated M.

(2) This fic is mostly a comedy, however there are some major cases of drama, so be prepared for some really serious parts, namely the intense fight scenes in the future.

(3) This fiction focuses on Pan growing up, learning to mature, and how an altered course of events could potentially lead to a TP in the far future by slightly modifying and expanding Dragonball GT's storyline.

(4) Almost everything in this story is original. Any similarities or relations to other stories are completely coincidential. And everything is _©_ LauraNeatO.

UPDATE: March 7, 2006: Due to the fact that I'm in graduate school now, updates are not as frequent. As a bit of forewarning, this story is going to be a project spanning over a multitude of years, since I don't have time to update that often. Also check out my site at Deviantart. com. The link is on my main page. I'm currently a lot more active there.

Enjoy X)

* * *

Welcome to Goku's Humored, a long and epic rewrite of Dragonball GT. I feel I need to open my story with an official author's note. This story is _very long_, and it will continue to get even longer. It covers the end of the Black Star Dragonball, Baby, Peacetime, Super Android 17, Second Grand Tour and Shadow Dragon Sagas.

Always note what says "x:NEW:x" in my chapter menu. I sometimes go back and edit previous chapters, and as the story progresses, this will be occurring more and more frequently as I re-write the beginning of this story.

All storyline is completely original, and if there are any similarities to previous works, it is merely coincidence.  
**_All text, dialogue, and situations are © LauraNeatO unless otherwise noted._**

If you would like to base your own fiction off my story, email me and/or IM me to ask permission first. You'll find I'm very easy to talk to, and I'm always willing to put aside my work and talk to my readers.

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_Official Disclaimer:_ I don't own any of the Dragonball Z/GT characters. I also do not own several dialogues that are directly taken from GT (though I also put disclaimers at the beginnings of the chapters that contain the borrowed material).

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**GOKU'S HUMORED: Re-Released**

**Version 2: **Bigger, Longer, and One Heck of a Ride, So Buckle Up

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**REMAKE of CHAPTER 1:**  
After Escaping M2

_Several days after their encounter with the Evil Dr. Myuu and his parasite creation Baby, our three heros are once again on the ship bound for another dragonball..._

"Hey Trunks, do you think we could stop by a place to eat?" Goku kicked his legs while impatiently squirming in his chair. "I'm so hungry…"

A moment passed, and he wasn't getting a response. He turned his head to look to Trunks, who was busy observing some readings on the computer board. "Hey Trunks?"

"Sorry, could you give me a moment, Goku, I'm a little preoccupied."

Goku leaned back and put his arms behind his head, waiting patiently. He tried to ignore the pangs in his stomach as he began to recite the alphabet in his head and associate names with the letters. That always seemed to work when he wanted to get his mind off food, and it was a challenge enough to distract him for a while.

_A_… _A... _Goku scrunched up his nose as he tried to think of a name that started with "A". _Ah, Android.. Android 18. B… Bulma… C… Chi Chi…_ As the list went on, Goku scrunched his nose more as he realized he really didn't know enough names to fill the gaps in some spaces, and by instinct, ended up filling the words with food names, however deconstructive the activity became.

When he got to _M_, Goku's mind faltered a bit as he thought of the most recent name that he thought started with that letter. Frowning slightly, he turned to look at Trunks and tapped the armrests of his chair patiently, "Hey Trunks?"

Trunks bit the cap off a pen as he filled in some readings. Without looking up, he mumbled, "Hmm?"

"How do you spell _Myuu_? I know it starts with an _M._"

"Hmm?" Trunks put the cap back on and eyed Goku with a slightly confused frown. "Myuu?" He raised his right eyebrow, "Why?"

Goku nodded to him and smiled expectantly.

A moment of pause passed between them as Trunks eyed Goku and the boy smiled innocently in return.

Another moment of silence lingered before Trunks cleared his throat, and repeated, in case Goku didn't hear the first time, "Why?"

Goku nodded again and repeated, "Y..."

Another awkward pause passed between them.

Trunks suddenly raised his left eyebrow to match his right as he made a confused face, "Are you trying to be funny or something?"

"Who me?"

Trunks sighed, "Goku, go play with Pan or something. I need to finish these readings so I can map out our projected course." Trunks turned back to his work, "I don't want to talk about that guy."

"Aww, but Trunks, if you don't help me with the name, I don't know what I'm gonna _do…_ I can't spell it, and I'm so _hungry_…"

Trunks sighed, "What name? Myuu?"

"Yeah, M-y-y..."

Trunks blinked at Goku a moment as the boy's last comments suddenly hit him full force. _M-y-y…_ Trunks cracked a smile and shook his head as he turned back to the computer board, "Goku, you are such a character, you know that?"

Goku blinked and leaned back in his chair for a moment as he began to frown. After a minute, Goku breathed deeply, and began rubbing his stomach. "Oh gosh, Trunks… I'm _starving_…"

Trunks sighed and put down his pen as he turned his head to face the boy, "Listen, Goku, go ask Pan to make you something. This is really important."

After a slight groan, Goku leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to calculate the parsecs to the next planet," Trunks tapped his pen on the paper he had been working on, "According to these readings, the dragonball is supposedly located in the 495 stellar field, but if that were the case, we'd be passing by a black hole."

The twelve year old scrunched his nose, "Is that a bad thing?"

Trunks looked back to his pen and picked it up as he began to tap it against his wrist, "Yeah, Goku. The last thing I want for us to do is get caught in the orbit of one of _those_ things, so…" Trunks looked up to Goku and then back to the paper, "I have to modify our flight angle in a way so that we don't end up getting lost in space while trying to divert something that has the power to… Goku are you even listening to me?"

Goku smiled and nodded as his eyes glazed over, his mind obviously in some other plane.

Trunks sighed and shook his head, turning back to his notes, realizing Goku had an attention span even less than Goten's sometimes.

Goku blinked and then forced a grin. "Well then!" He swung his feet for a moment, and then hopped to the ground. "You know what Trunks, I think I'll leave you to that then…"

Trunks looked up, "Where are you going?"

"Oh…_around…_" Goku flicked his wrist as his eyes glinted, "Maybe the _kitchen_…"

Trunks took his pen and pointed it to Goku menacingly, "You aren't allowed in the kitchen by yourself, you _know_ that, Goku."

"I know, I know…" Goku forced another grin, his eyebrows frowning in desperation, "But I'm so _hungry_…" Goku looked down, "I don't know if I've ever been _this_ hungry before…"

"Fine." Trunks sighed and shook his head, "Go, then," but as Goku spun around on his heel Trunks called out, "But _if you touch that microwave_, I'm going to let you _have it_, got it, Goku?"

"Sure thing!" Goku grinned innocently and sped down the hall.

Trunks sighed with a nervous smirk as he got back to work. He tried his best to prevent himself from imagining the worst. The last thing he needed right now was for Goku to destroy the kitchen. He had nightmares about that sometimes – waking up, to find out all the food was left out and opened, as if a massive typhoon swept the inside of the ship and rained leftovers everywhere.

He heard a slight knock to the open cabin door, and looked up again to see Pan enter the cockpit and sit down in her seat to the left of him. He tried to hold in a growl as he forced his mind to stay on his assignment. If there was any nightmare that kept him tossing and turning at night, even more so than Goku's massive appetite, it was the girl sitting next to him, who so innocently smiled to get his attention.

It wasn't going to work. He had better things to do right now than entertain her because she was bored. He scribbled some more notes and tried to think of happier thoughts.

"So…" Trunks heard Pan shift in her seat, and could feel her eyes on him as he tried to shut her out from his mind, "What'ya workin' on?"

Trunks sighed and stopped his pen as he tried to keep his eyebrow from twitching.

"Was it just me, or did I see Grandpa go into the kitchen?"

It really was more a statement than a question, an obvious trigger for a conversation if Trunks didn't already know about Goku's endeavor.

There was an awkward pause as Trunks glared at his pen, trying to think of home, and how he'd much rather have to endure a day of training than sit next to Pan and have to deal with her right now.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Trunks looked to her and said as flatly as he could manage, "Yes."

Pan sighed and knocked her knees together as she looked down at her hands, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Pan." Trunks growled and let out a frustrated huff, "You almost got us killed back there."

"I said I'm sorry! What more can I do?"

Trunks looked to her a moment and took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He could feel his right hand squeeze the pen as he observed her face, and tried to hold onto the anger he had been feeling, but the longer he looked at her, the more he felt his anguish drain, to his dismay.

She had been having that effect on him lately. Before, when she first came on the trip, it was easier to hold a grudge against the girl because she never wanted forgiveness. It had been almost above her, to accept the fact that she had done something wrong. But as she started to realize some of the follies she got Trunks and Goku into, it was as if a new word had entered her vernacular, and suddenly, it was harder to maintain spite against her.

Perhaps that wasn't the only reason he had been tolerating her more lately, but he couldn't place a finger on it, and he really didn't want to at this point. The fact of the matter was that he was adapting to her, finally, after almost eight and a half months of the trip, and it took two deserts, a wedding dress, a giant man, a giant doll, the Para brothers, and Dr. Myuu for her to grow on him.

Trunks realized he had been staring at her while his mind had wandered, and shook his head to somewhat reset his gaze. He looked to his right hand and then back to her and then sighed dejectedly as he felt his head slowly shake again, "It's alright, Pan."

Pan's face brightened a bit as she leaned forward, "So I don't owe you any favors?"

Trunks grunted and forced a smirk, "Just don't beg us to go to any more planets like M2, and I'll be fine."

There was a moment of peace and quiet that passed between them as they both looked up to the stars through the round windshield.

Trunks felt a hand suddenly touch his arm, and he looked down in more surprise than shock. It was unusual for Pan to touch him, and he felt a slight wave of uneasiness pass through him as he instinctively wanted to draw his arm away. He never let anyone touch him. She'd better have a good reason.

"I just wanted to let you know…" Pan looked to him with a slight smile, "That… well…" Her hand shook his arm confidently for a moment before she brought it back, "That it was also your fault, and that you owe me an apology too."

Trunks blinked as all amiable feelings were suddenly sucked from his mood, "Ex_cuse_ me! Me? Owe _you_ an apology?"

Pan frowned and knotted her eyebrows, "What did you think you were _pulling_, trying to _fake_ that you were in that carbonite block!"

Trunks's eyes widened as he bared his fangs, "_I_ was trying to discover Mr. Myuu's plans! _I_ was working _undercover_, Pan. And what did _you_ do?"

"_I_ was trying to rescue _you!_" Pan stood up and crossed her arms, "And it was all for _nothing_, because you were _faking_ being captured the _whole time_!"

"And suddenly it's a _bad thing_?" Trunks glared, "Would you _rather_ I had been captured? Would you _rather_ have had me splinter into a thousand pieces like that?"

"You! _You..!_" Pan suddenly slumped back into her chair as she began to sniffle, "_No_…"

"Oh no…" Trunks frowned as he leaned toward her in his chair, "Don't cry, Pan. I didn't mean to upset you like that."

"You… _-sniff- _you…" Pan tried to control her breathing as she looked down to her knees, "You could have _died_…"

Trunks sighed and hung his head, "Pan! Why do you think I'm so _angry _with you?"

"You're… you're still angry…?"

"No! I mean, yes, I mean, I _was_…" Trunks sighed again and slumped his shoulders, "Pan…"

A sudden crash reverberated through the whole ship. The sound of plates clashing in the kitchen caused Trunks to jerk his head around to the sound.

"Oh no! _GOKU!_" Trunks stood up and marched toward the door, "I _knew_ he was going to do something like this."

"Trunks, you don't even know what he did."

"Oh I _know._" Trunks rolled up his sleeve and shook his head in disappointment, "Trust me, I _know_ what he did." He began to march out of the cockpit.

Pan sat up and twisted to frown, "Trunks, go easy on him!"

Trunks snorted and walked out to the hallway, hearing Pan get up to try to follow him before his steps echoed in the corridor. When he reached the kitchen, he stopped and took a deep breath, to prepare himself for the sight.

As he opened the door, he could feel a desperate groan leave him as his eyes took in the kitchen table. The thing was covered in globs of something, and he didn't even want to _know_ what it was.

"Oh noooooooo…" Trunks looked to the counter to see an equally large portion of the green glob. He hung his head and put his hand to his forehead, "Goku, what the hell have you been _doing_ in here!"

Goku turned around, wearing a green apron and a top hat. "Trunks! You're just in time to taste it!"

"Taste it!" Trunks' eyes widened, "Taste _what?_"

"It's good!" Goku wandered over to him with a tray of the green globs, "I made it with all natural veggies... I have celery… and I have green beans and um… spinach… and… semolina… and…"

Trunks' face turned purple as Goku started naming out the lists of greens he decided to put in the masterpiece.

"Goku…" Trunks tried to cut him off by waving his right hand, hoping his stomach wouldn't reel from the list of ingredients Goku named, "Were you _seriously_ going to eat this!"

"Oh _no!_" Goku shook his head, "I already ate. This was for _you._"

"Oh god…" Trunks's eyes widened as his stomach threatened to gag.

"Here, try some." Goku held out the tray to Trunks, "I call it the _Myuu Too_."

Trunks backed away, "Goku… I'm not hungry…"

"Try some!" Goku took a few steps closer.

"I'm _really_ not hungry…" Trunks backed up against the wall.

"_Try_ it!"

"I'm _rea_-MMmmrm!" Trunks' eyes shot as wide as they could get as Goku shot up and stuffed a spoon into his mouth.

Trunks could feel his eyes welling up with tears as he forced it down his throat, for humility's sake. He tried to think of happier places, even sitting in the cockpit with Pan…

For a moment, the world threatened to turn black on him as he tried to stabilize himself against the wall. He could feel himself choke out in a desperate voice, "I'm dying… I'm dying!"

"Oh stop acting like such a primadonna!" Pan put her hands on her hips and grinned at Trunks.

"Pan…" Trunks clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he tried to disregard the taste, "Pan… you didn't have to _swallow_ that…"

"There's more from where that came from!" Goku dug the spoon into more of the green glob.

"NO!" Trunks pushed him away, "Goku, you need to clean up this kitchen _right now_."

"But you're not finished ye–"

"–I _tried_ your invention. Now _clean up_," Trunks stomped his foot, "_NOW_, Goku."

"Aww, but Trunks…"

Trunks put a finger up to point at Goku, "And you are _never allowed_ to _invent food_ _again_. Got it?"

"But, you _liked_ what I invented last time."

Trunks closed his eyes and felt his temple throb. "Goku, that was a _cheeseburger_. You invented the _pickles_ that went on it."

Pan snorted from laughter in the corner.

Trunks spun on a dime and pointed to her, "I'm not talking to you! Unless you'd like to _help him clean up?_"

Pan coughed a bit and looked away, suddenly stricken with a serious face.

Trunks looked between the two of them for a moment, feeling a surge of anger suddenly kindle into a raging fire inside him. And, the more he looked at Goku and Pan, the more he realized he needed a break from it all.

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After the incident in the kitchen, Trunks had turned and left, leaving Pan and Goku to sort out the mess among themselves. He had more important matters to attend to. If they wanted to get to the next dragonball safely, he had to finish up several important calculations, or else it wouldn't be just their lives at stake.

Sometimes Goku and Pan tended to forget the gravity of the situation, how important the mission was. Often times, they treated it like a playground, playing hide and seek or one of their video games while Trunks was left to do all the work. It figured, though, having to travel with two kids. He just wished they'd take their trip a little more seriously sometimes. That _excluded _tourist trips to hostile planets like M2, and stopping off at every other planet to grab Goku a new exotic meal; but sometimes it was necessary, to keep him from pulling stunts like the one he just did with that green glob.

Trunks sat forward in his chair as he felt his stomach wrench again. He tried not to picture the substance, and even more so to forget how revolting it tasted…

Determined to keep his mind on more productive tasks, Trunks turned back to the control panel and started punching in coordinates. Looking intently at the computer screen, he frowned slightly and leaned back in his chair as he brought his pen to his mouth, chewing its cap thoughtfully.

A sharp movement on the dashboard caught his eye as he was working out some numbers in his head. "-giru giru-!"

Trunks looked up to see Giru chewing one of the wrenches he had brought in earlier when fixing a loose bolt in the main computer. His first reaction was to stare a moment in slight shock, but then a wave of exasperation filled him as he cried out loud, "Oh _no!_" Trunks leaned forward and grabbed the handle of the wrench, "Give that _back_, Giru, we need that!"

"-giru!" The robot grabbed the remainder of the utensil and began to tug it his way.

"Give that back!" Trunks tugged harder, "I'll find you something healthier for you. Just don't eat that. We only have two of those!"

"-giru giru-!"

"AUGH!" Trunks yanked at the utensil and cursed everyone and everything on the ship. Nothing was going his way today, nor had it ever. And he was beginning to get seriously fed up with it all. It was hard to imagine… three and a half more months, he'd have to endure this cruel and unusual punishment.

It was times like these he truly did wish that Goten came along instead of Pan. Even if things were looking bleak and everything were going wrong, Goten always managed to alleviated the situation even for a small while – long enough for Trunks to move on to other things and not have to worry about everything going wrong on the trip. But Pan…

Trunks yanked the wrench free with a mighty tug that sent him sprawling back in the chair. "Aha!" Trunks lifted the tool triumphantly with a growing smirk, "I won!"

"-giruuuu…."

"Giru, why don't you find Goku and Pan?" Trunks laid the wrench on his lap and leaned forward to look at his mathematical calculations again, cursing himself for losing his track of thought.

The robot bleeped slightly and then quickly flew out of the room in search for more entertaining things to do.

Trunks smiled then, realizing he was finally alone. Sitting alone and thinking was his favorite thing to do these days. It was good to be able to escape the ship for a bit and daydream of his friends and family back home…. And the merger with Bocks Co… and the marketing campaign of Prime Inc… and the efforts to go public with the company.

There really was a lot to think about. But he mostly thought of his mother back home, wondering how she was handling the company in his absence. The paperwork would have to be re-filed and reorganized when he returned, and…

He was thinking about his job again. It tended be a bad habit of his, having his mind constantly wander back to the office. It was hard not to, considering he practically slaved there every day without breaks. Sometimes, he just had to schedule his own free time, to the dismay of the secretary. But a trip like this… To space, with two attention-deficient children, was not his idea of a vacation.

Trunks looked down a coughed twice before laying down his pen.

"Goten…" Trunks muttered under his breath as his right hand began to drum the control panel. "If only you had come instead…"

Sighing deeply, Trunks picked up the pen again and bit off the cap, chewing it as he took the integrals of several formulas depicting the angle of their route if they decided to circumvent the imminent black hole.

If anything, having Goten along would have definitely spiced up the menu on the ship. No more green globs, no more boots in the stew…

Trunks sighed again and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to relieve the sudden wave of stress that threatened to swarm over him.

Just three and a half more months…

And as long as they stayed out of sticky situations, Trunks would make sure they would stick to a smooth ride. That was, as long as Pan didn't get involved in his agenda. The last thing they needed was for her to volunteer to 'play hero' again.

He was really getting sick of that.

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–Updated: 4/19/05–

Note: I have rewritten Chapters 1 - 3. The new version is the immedate chapter presented, and if you scroll down, you can access the originals, in case you would like to read how I originally began this story back on September 18th, 2004.

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**ORIGINAL:**

CHAPTER 1

Goku kicked his legs while impatiently squirming in his chair. "Hey guys, do you think we could stop by a place to eat? I'm hungry." He looked over to Trunks, who was observing some readings on the computer board.

"I don't know, Goku. It might be a while. It says here that we won't be reaching the nearest inhabitable planet for 3 days, but I'm sure Pan can try to make something less bland tonight. Maybe we can both put a request in." Trunks grinned over at Goku, who sighed in discontentment.

"Are you absolutely sure, Trunks? No place at all? Man, I'm so hungry… I don't know if I've ever been THIS hungry before…"

Trunks shook his head, with a small smirk on his face as he continued to read the computer data. _Goku will never change_, he thought to himself as he started pressing a few buttons to figure out coordinates.

Just then, both Goku and Trunks heard a clanging from the kitchen area of the ship. Immediately concerned, the two jumped up in surprise, and Goku was first to the kitchen door to check on his granddaughter, just in time to see Giru hide under the table from the commotion. "I'm okay!" Trunks heard Pan cry out, "It's just some silverware. Honestly, Grandpa, you don't have to jump every time you hear noises in the kitchen. I don't know how Grandma Chi Chi ever put up with you and your appetite."

Goku's stomach growled at the thought of food. "Hey Pan, you don't think you could cook something tonight, could you? I mean… even a sandwich would be nice right about now."

Pan grimaced at Goku and pointed a spoon at him that she just picked up. "No way, it's Trunks' turn to cook tonight! I cooked last night AND the night before because you two were lazy."

"Giru, Giru!" Suddenly, the small white robot emerged from under the table, appearing excited.

"I know! I think GIRU can cook tonight!" Pan looked quite pleased and grabbed the robot out of the air. "Have you ever cooked before, Giru? I can teach you, you know!"

"Giru! Giru cook? Giru Giru, Giru not a cook, Giru!"

"Oh come _ON_, it'll be fun! I'll make a cooking exception for you. We can cook together!" Giru began bleeping rapidly as it tried to wiggle out from her grasp. Her grip remained firm, however, and she smiled over at Trunks and Goku who were watching this from the door.

"Well okay Pan, just hurry up. I'm STARVING," Goku rubbed his stomach, anticipating a hearty meal to fill him up.

"Hey Pan, may I see Giru for a minute?" Trunks passed Goku and walked into the kitchen area to look at the robot which was still bleeping quietly. As Pan handed Giru over to Trunks, he slid the back of the robot to the side to look at the Dragon Radar. "Wow, just as I suspected. But I don't know how it's possible. That bleeping is actually a dragonball that's a day away." He stopped a moment to think. "But, the only planet within that range has too much chlorine gas on it to sustain life. I have to check this out. It might be a problem getting this one." Trunks walked out of the room, holding a confused robot in his hands, and leaving a questionable look on both Pan's and Goku's faces.

"Does this mean I won't get dinner anytime soon?" Goku frowned a little.

"Grandpa! Honestly, is that ALL you think about! FINE, I'll make you something, but you OWE ME." Pan opened the refrigerator and started uncapsuling some cold food storage boxes while Goku sat down and watched her, cupping his face in his hands as his elbows leaned on the table.

"Pan, you know, I don't think we've ever really talked to each other privately since we set out on our trip." Goku pondered this, rolling his eyes to the side, thinking how long it had been since they ever were that close at all. "You know, I don't think we've ever really sat down and talked."

Pan began to look very irritated and didn't even look at Goku when she turned red while violently cutting the onions. "Grandpa, now is NOT the time to talk about things like that. Right now I'm trying to cook for you AGAIN, and you're sitting there trying to catch up on lost time."

"I know, but Pan, I just feel like I've missed out on your life, and we don't ever get alone time because Trunks is always with us, and, well-"

"Is there something you have to say that Trunks can't hear?" Pan stopped and turned around to face Goku, with her hands on her hips.

"Well, no. I just wanted to know what memories you may have of me from before I went off to train Ubuu. I mean, you were really young at the time, and I'm not sure if you remember much of me. As it is, I didn't even recognize YOU when those men were robbing that bank, and I feel like you and I don't know each other, and I'd like to gain something from this trip."

"Well, first of all, the memories I have of my Grandpa involved a man that was OLDER than me. I only really have a few that stand out, but why bring that up now?" Pan's anger subsided and bewilderment replaced her features.

Goku patted to the chair next to him at the table. Although his stomach growled again, he pushed the thought of food aside - he'd get to eat later - and replaced it with concern for his granddaughter. She was fourteen going on fifteen in a few months, and she barely knew him. What made him feel worse was that he, in return, barely knew her, and wanted to remedy that, at least a little.

As she sat down, frowning in confusion, she started to open her mouth to speak, but Goku put up a hand to silence her. "I just want to say that you've grown up so fast, I am sorry that I missed out on so much of your life, but I hope to be around a long time from now on, and make up for lost time. You've really become beautiful, just like your mother, and from the first moment I saw you again, I could see your Grandma Chi Chi all over your actions. You've become strong both mentally and physically, and I want to say that I'm really proud of you, Pan."

She flushed a little, blinking, and looked away shyly. "Grandpa…"

"No, wait, I'm not done. I am really glad that you came with us, Pan, because I see how you are, how you act when your walls are down. And, I feel that you'll be able to walk away from this year and maybe have some good memories of me."

"Grandpa, I do have good memories… like the time we went to the beach together… all of us… remember that? And… and I remember the Budokai tournament that you took me to, and we both ate ice cream…"

"Pan, those are memories of things we've gone. But you've never actually known _me_."

"Papa talks about you all the time, Grandpa, and things you've done. I've heard plenty of stories about you. I just, I feel a little embarassed right now. Can we talk about this later? Your food will be ready in a bit…"

"Oh sure, Pan. Go ahead, and trust me, I'm not purposely trying to keep you away from making my meal. I just thought we could talk."

"Oh Grandpa, you're so funny. We can always talk! We've been on this spaceship for nine months now and I think I've done a great deal of talking! And not to mention, I've had the best company."

"You know, Pan, speaking of company… although Trunks doesn't say it, he's glad you came on the trip as well. I think he really appreciated being able to befriend you. And it's always nice to have a girl around. It balances out the company a bit."

Pan got back to chopping her onions, and then stopped. She turned around a bit, with a distant look on her face as she faced Goku. He raised his eyebrow a bit and waved his hand to get her attention. "Pan? You okay?" At this, she refocused herself, looked at him, then turned and began to cut the onions again.

"Grandpa, you said you wanted me to get to know more about you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, um… You know, I've been wondering a long time, but I keep forgetting to ask Bulma this. How did you and Bulma meet? I mean, the fact that Trunks is here, and we're on a Capsule Corp. ship, traveling the universe together. I just, I guess I'm wondering where and how it all began."

Goku laughed a bit at this. "Your dad never told you? Oh wow, it's such a great story. It's the story of how Bulma and I met, and that's how we met Chi Chi and Yamchua and …"

The kitchen door opened and Trunks walked in while Goku was in mid-story, explaining the adventures of his childhood. After several steps, he stopped and slapped his right hand to his forehead. "Oh no! Are you telling the story of how you and my mom met?" Trunks groaned at Goku.

"Yes I am, Trunks! Believe it or not, Pan doesn't know it."

"Oh wow, Pan, you don't even WANT to know how many times I've heard this. My mother has told me that story so many times, I don't think I could handle hearing it again. It was her favorite bed time story when I was little, and then I had to endure it all over again when Bra was born."

"It's okay, Trunks, you don't have to listen. But if you do, I'll try to keep it short."

"Actually, can I just say one thing before I go, then? If you don't mind, Goku… I don't want to interrupt such an epic story, but I think this is important."

"Sure, Trunks. What's going on? Oh yeah, the food should be ready in a little bit, if you want to sit down and talk with us… my story can wait."

Pan took out a pot and put it on the stove, leaning to make sure she set the temperature on high, and rummaged through some vegetables to find some tomatoes. Trunks took the invitation to sit across from Goku at the table. "Well, I looked at the readings again for the dragonball's location, and I concluded something very interesting. It appears that the number 5 dragonball is on a large moon, and the moon is large enough to sustain life, from what I can tell. However, that's all I can figure out. If there is civilization, it most likely is primitive. I guess we'll see when we get there. But Goku, I think your restaurant will have to be put on hold. Sorry." Trunks smiled a bit at the twelve year old before him. It was really hard to imagine that same child to be the same hero he'd known all his life. "Goku, I don't think I'll ever get used to you being so young again. I mean, you're old enough to be my father, but you look young enough to be my kid."

"Yeah, wouldn't Vegeta love to picture that one!" Pan grinned over at the two who burst out laughing at the table. After they calmed down, Goku and Trunks sat in silence, watching Pan labor over the stove for a while.

After several minutes, Goku leaned back in his chair and put his arms behind his head. "You know, you two would make a really cute couple one day. And I don't think Vegeta would really mind that. So I mean… the idea of having a grandkid that's related to me…"

Both Trunks and Pan stopped and gave Goku a disgusted look. "You can't be serious!" Trunks blinked at Goku. "Don't go getting any false ideas. Where did that come from?" Trunks turned red and looked over at Pan, who was too embarassed to look back at him. Trunks looked over at a smiling Goku and relaxed, "Oh, I get it! That was a joke!" and began to laugh away the sudden anxiety that washed over him. Pan, however, was not smiling.

"Grandpa, that wasn't even funny! That was mean and embarassing and that came out of nowhere."

Another few minutes of uncomfortable silence lay between them. Goku seemed fine, but Trunks and Pan were mentally fumbling over what they could say to change the subject without sounding awkward. Trunks blushed a bit as he fumbled around his pockets for something. He took out a sheet of paper from his right pocket and unfolded it for Goku to see. "I guess, uh, getting to what we were talking about before," he coughed to himself, "I calculated the time it would take to get to the moon and we'll be there within 20 hours, so I suggest we get some sleep soon, as in right after dinner. I want to have been awake for a bit by the time we land, and I know how Pan likes to sleep in."

Pan stuck her tongue out at Trunks, and threw the tomatoes, onions, and other chopped ingredients, into the boiling pot. Hearing the water start to boil louder, Trunks raised his eyebrow a bit. "Pan, um… what exactly are you cooking?"

"Stew."

"Ohhh, that sounds delicious!" Goku clapped happily.

"What _kind_ of stew?"

"I don't know. Hey GIRU! What kind of Stew should I make?" Pan called out to the other room, hoping the robot would hear.

Trunks' mouth fell wide open. "What! Are you telling me you're just throwing things into a pot and expecting them to come out tasting like a gourmet meal!"

Pan backed away from the stove. "Well, if you are going to be picky, why don't YOU make dinner tonight, Trunks, since tonight IS _YOUR TURN_!"

"No… no, that's okay. 'Stew' sounds great right about now." Trunks tried to mimic an innocent Goku grin, which Pan found absolutely hilarious and started laughing about.

Goku, however, didn't see it, and looked up to ask, "What's so funny?"

At that point, the door suddenly burst open, revealing a frantic robot. "Danger! Danger! Pan is cooking dinner!"

In a split second, both Trunks and Goku were laughing, while Pan stood there. "What's so funny!"

–––––––

–––––––

–9/18/04–


	2. The Moon Kikaru

CHAPTER 2:  
The Moon Kikaru

Trunks couldn't believe it. It had been several days… and they actually made it to their next destination in one piece.

No asteroid fields, no Para Para Brothers, no fuel leaks, and remarkably, no complaints from Goku about wanting to stop by any other planets for a meal. Trunks figured he was still feeling guilty about the whole mess that erupted in the kitchen.

Following Goku's and Pan's gaze, Trunks looked out to the gigantic dazzling moon before them and smirked contentedly. The dragonball was on that moon, and everything was looking good so far, as long as they weren't caught in its planet's gravitational field when landing. That could pose to be a real problem if they got caught within those green depths.

Trunks looked back to the control panel, "Yeah, it's chlorine alright." He punched a few buttons and brought his gaze to the planet again, "Pure gas."

"Wow, that's so cool!" Pan placed her hands against the window and pressed her face against the glass to get a better look, "So the moon is orbiting a gigantic ball of poison?"

"Well…" Trunks blinked and brought his right hand to his chin, "I guess you could look at it that way… I guess…"

"Grandpa!" Pan turned to Goku and grinned widely, "Lets go get a better look!"

Trunks shook his head, "If I were you, I'd stay here and strap yourself to your seat. We're going to be landing soon."

"Oh pfft!" Pan walked to Trunks' chair and leaned her elbows on his armrest, propping her head on her palms, "Wanna come look at the moon with us?"

Trunks closed his eyes and tried to prevent a temple from throbbing. He answered in his most emotionless voice, "No," before looking back to the computer, "I have to work on coordinates and preparing the landing gear."

"Aw come on," Pan leaned closer to him, giving him puppy eyes, "You never get away from work. Why don't you come to the observation deck with us?"

"I'd rather not."

"Gosh," Pan stood and flicked her wrist, "You're no fun."

"Yeah, well, I don't think I can take a break from this, unless you want us to spiral toward that planet," Trunks looked at her, "which is 50 times Earth's gravity, by the way, in case you didn't know. And although we may be used to handling that kind of gravitational pull, we'll _never_ be able to get the ship out of the atmosphere."

Pan crossed her arms, "Grandpa could fly us out."

"_No_," Trunks growled, "because if Goku goes out, and even the slightest bit of that gas makes its way into the ship," he shook his head, "it's goodbye Grand Tour and goodbye Earth."

"Gosh Trunks," Goku turned around with a slight frown, "You really _should_ come with us. You sound like you need a break."

"I'll take a break after we get this dragonball and head out."

Both Goku and Pan stood there for a moment as Trunks took hold of the steering wheel. He looked to them impatiently after they didn't move. "Well, are you going to go to the observation deck or not? You don't have that much time. We land in fifteen minutes."

Pan frowned at Trunks and then looked to Goku, "I guess that's our cue, huh…?" Sighing softly, she leaned over Trunks' chair again and pouted her bottom lip, "Are you sure you don't want to come? I'd really like if you could sightsee with us…"

"I get enough view of the moon from here, thanks."

Pan's eyebrows angled upward in a saddened frown, "Wow, you're _mean_."

"I'm not _mean!_" Trunks felt like banging his head against the dashboard. "I'm just trying to fly the ship, Pan! Please understand that!"

"Yeah, we understand. Come on, Grandpa."

Trunks sighed in frustration and mild exasperation as he watched the dynamic duo leave the cockpit and felt an incredible pang of guilt. He wasn't _trying_ to exclude himself. They just didn't know when to leave him alone and to the flying. They needed to get serious; and fawning over a planet in the observation room was _not_ helping.

Trunks sighed again as his conscience panged at him. Frowning defeatedly, he realized Pan did it again. She managed to manipulate him into doing something she wanted, and he wasn't strong-willed enough to resist.

He really _did_ let her walk all over him. That thought in itself upset him more than the fact that he found himself unbuckling his safety belt, standing up, and pressing 'Auto-pilot' as he made his way over the observation deck.

He huffed out a shallow breath of air and inwardly kicked himself for having no backbone.

He'd have to figure out how to get Pan to bend to _his_ will one of these days. Instead of jumping in playing 'hero,' they should use his mother's method, '_just take the dragonball and run_.'

The trip would have been so much easier if they had stuck to that philosophy. But then again, all the adventure would have been sucked out of it.

Trunks exited the cockpit and walked casually down the small hallway that lead to the oval center room, pondering _what-if_s to himself. It was just funny… It was funny how much Trunks had changed in his lifetime.

He remembered a time in his life when he may have been thrilled at the idea of going out and fighting, fist to fist, to earn a proper "adventure." That later changed to a romantic approach to traveling, like that one time in his late teens he wanted to tour the world for a week, and dragged Goten along with him one summer. That just seemed so long ago. They both were so different back then…

Trunks sighed, realizing he was daydreaming about home again. He stepped up the elevator putting and pressed the 'up' button. After a moment, the round platform began to move below him as he ascended upwards to join Pan and Goku in their pointless sight-seeing exhibition.

When he reached the top, he was suddenly hit with extreme darkness. Billions of stars glittered in a vast sea of sparkling fireflies before him. He stood there a moment, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim blue lights that outlined the round floor of the room, and looked down to observe two stargazers, one sitting cross-legged on a flat futon on the floor, and the other, obviously Goku, on his knees, with his hands and face pressed against the glass.

Trunks walked over to Pan and sat cross-legged next to her, looking over to Goku as they all basked in the silence, the only sound being the steady low drone of the engine as they made their way toward the moon.

Trunks coughed a moment and casually cleared his throat as he felt Pan shift beside him. "So…" The magic of the moment was suddenly shattered as his voice brought Goku and Pan back from their daze. He felt their eyes turn to him as he adjusted his seat and leaned on his right arm for support, "I guess this is it."

Goku blinked, "What is it?"

"Another _adventure_." Trunks stressed the cursed word, knowing how they always seemed to get into predicaments with every single dragonball they recovered. He hoped to all Kais that this one would be simple and easy to retrieve, but somewhere in his gut, he had this terrible feeling this was going to the worst of all. I really hoped he shouldn't trust his intuitions.

Trunks sat forward and subconsciously adjusted his bandana as he forced a fake smirk to Goku before turning his head to look at Pan, "You two ready?"

"Heck yeah!" Pan stood and brought her hands to the roof of the glass dome. "One more dragonball and how many will we have? Let's see…" Pan brought her right hand down and counted her fingers, "One, t…thr…f… _five!_" She held out her hand to Trunks as if it would somehow prove her point.

"Wow!" Goku turned his head to look at her, his hands still against the glass, "We got all those balls in just a few _weeks?_"

"_Weeks?_" Trunks grimaced and shook his head at Goku's stupidity, "We've been on this trip for _months!_"

"_Noooo!_" Goku made a gasp and then clutched his stomach, "I've gone that long without _eating?_"

"Augh." Trunks hung his head, "Goku, you aren't serious are you?"

"Oh man, I'm so hungry…" Goku looked down to his hands and rubbed his stomach intently, "I don't know if I've ever been _this_ hungry before."

"Grandpa, do you realize _how many times_ you've never been '_this_' hungry before?" Pan raised an eyebrow slightly, "Too many! I think you're turning into a regular boy who cried wolf."

"But I don't _want _a wolf." Goku sniffled and leaned on the glass, "I could eat a whole _dinosaur_."

"Knowing you, Grandpa, you _would_."

–––––––

Considering the moon was so enormous, it came as a huge shock to them that there was so little gravity… or at least, it came as a huge shock to Trunks. Pan and Goku had very little appreciation for anomalies of science. There really was no way to explain the small gravitational pull unless one relied on the existence of magic.

But then again, magic was real. Trunks had even witnessed it himself during the whole Buu escapade. Chi Chi was turned into chocolate right before his eyes, and so was everyone else as he, Goten and Piccolo struggled to make their way out of the Room of Spirit and Time to make their way back to Buu…

Trunks found his mind was wandering as he climbed down the ladder to the grass below the ship. With several blinks and one hand shielding his eye from the glaring red sun, he saw Goku hopping about on the grass, jumping several meters high before doing flips and landing on all fours, just to spring to action again.

Goku laughed and did a cartwheel in the air before landing back on his feet, "Wow, this is fun! Pan! You can hop really high here!"

"Grandpa, stop acting silly." Pan crossed her arms on the grass and huffed, "We need to find that dragonball. Hey, Giru!"

At the sound of his name, the little robot flew down the ladder, whisked past Trunks, and immediately latched onto Pan's left shoulder, a very characteristic trait of Giru, except most of the time, Trunks was the one who fell victim to the robot's clutches

Pan smiled happily at Giru and reached her left hand up to pat him on the head. "Hey Giru, can you tell us where the dragonball is?"

Trunks removed his blue backpack and took out the remote that would close and lock the ship. Pressing several buttons, a red light began to blink on the remote, and the ship suddenly stirred on its own, retracting the ladder before closing and locking the exterior.

Taking a few steps closer to the ship, Trunks made sure the red security light was blinking at the bottom of the ship as well. After their experience at Imecka, with their ship being stolen, Trunks installed a security device that would send an alert them via the remote if anyone were to tamper with the ship. The last thing they needed was to be stranded on a third-world planet or moon while their ship vanished somewhere.

"Come on, Giru, this is how you to a cartwheel!"

Trunks looked up to see Goku, Pan and Giru all cartwheeling around in circles on the grass. Just watching them do that instantly brought a wave of embarrassment through him. What they were doing was just plain humiliating, and they were too oblivious to note it.

Trunks sighed openly, and thought exasperatingly, _why two kids?_ He shook his head, mostly to himself, and then opened the backpack flap, dropping the remote in with the four other dragonballs he kept by his or Pan's side. The fifth, the Four Star ball, was always tucked away in Goku's belt pouch. It was always best to keep at least one ball separate from the others, in case another group of Para Para Brothers or anyone remotely similar decided to come along and steal all the eggs in the basket.

While the other two were off in their own world, Trunks took the opportunity to look around, walking away from the party.

They seemed to be in a large field of pale green grass. A bright red sun and the giant green planet hovered above them, adding an eerie effect to the color of the sky, making it a purplish dark blue.

Trunks stared in amazement at the green planet. _Wow…_ He just couldn't take it all in, he was so hypnotized by the view. _Is that what the moon would have looked like, back on Earth? Just hanging in the sky like that?_

It was beautiful, and the more he looked at it, the more he wished that Piccolo had never destroyed Earth's moon. There was no reason for its destruction, as far as Trunks could tell; Piccolo was probably doing it to prove some sort of point to Gohan. At least, he _thought_ it was to Gohan, but his memory of the tale was somewhat vague. It had been a long time since Goten told Trunks of Gohan's past with Piccolo, and Trunks couldn't remember it all.

It had struck him as a surprise at the time, though. Trunks could never really picture Piccolo going out of his way to actually train _anybody_. He was such a loner, a self-proclaimed outcast, it was _really_ hard to work with him. Trunks may not have been able to remember everything from before he was ten, but he definitely still remembered the terror Piccolo struck in him whenever that Namek got mad.

And that Namek sure had a temper when someone rubbed him the wrong way. And sometimes Piccolo could really go overboard, like blowing up the moon. It was a shame it had to go. Earth was really missing out on a beautiful display of light.

"–t way!"

Trunks tore his vision from the planet a moment and watched as Pan was running toward him.

_She_, on the other hand, was someone who could really benefit training under Piccolo, that was for sure. At some point, someone would have to smack some maturity in that girl. Otherwise, if she kept getting her way all the time, even manipulating Trunks into doing things for her, she was never going to grow up.

Pan reached him and stopped, leaning forward as she placed her hands on her knees and gasped for breath. "Trunks!" She panted heavily and then stood up, her face slightly flushed from excitement, "Giru says the dragonball is that way," she pointed to the direction away from the sun, "about twenty miles!"

"Wow, that's pretty close." Trunks took one last glance at the planet and then turned his head to look at her, "So you ready for some flight?"

"Aww," Pan faked a frown and said with mild sarcasm, "We're not going to take a _capsule car?_"

Trunks looked down to look in his shirt pocket and brought his right hand up to pull out a dyno-cap container. "You can take the convertible if you like." He looked to her and held up the box, "I'd rather save some time, though."

Pan's eyes suddenly beamed, "What? You _mean _it?" She took in a deep breath of air as her shock settled in, "I can drive the _convertible?_"

"Ahhhhh…" Trunks suddenly remembered her kamikaze driving skills back on Imecka, and thought twice about it. He lowered his tone slightly as he gave an embarrassed frown, "You know what… I mean…"

"Oh _please!_" Pan latched onto his arm, which Trunks instantly brought back in a spring of surprise.

"I don't think so!"

"But I'm fifteen! I'm old enough for a permit…" 

"_No_…" Trunks shook the container at her, "You are _fourteen_. You're not allowed to _round up_ for permits."

"But my birthday is in two months!"

"No way." Trunks retracted his arm and put the container back in his shirt pocket.

There was a brief pause as Pan stood there, looking at Trunks.

After moment, Pan frowned and sniffled, obviously trying to hold back invisible mimed tears. "You're so mean." She looked away and crossed her arms with a slightly as she pouted her bottom lip.

"I'm not mean!" Trunks gave a groan and shook his head, "It's just so happensthat _this_ carisa _nice _car, and I am not sure I can trust your driving skills with it."

"What are we going to _hit?_" Pan spun around, flinging her arms out to point in all directions, "We're in the middle of _nowhere_."

"Yeah, and that's until we get somewhere."

"You _know_, Trunks…"

Trunks spun around, his heart suddenly leaping in his chest from the surprise of someone standing right behind him. "Goku! Goku, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

Goku grinned sheepishly and brought his left hand behind his head while his other gripped Giru, "Whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to sneak up on ya." Goku lowered his hand, "But yeah, I mean, I don't see why Pan can't drive the car around. This place is like one big parking lot, right?"

Trunks crossed his eyes and raised an eyebrow, "And what would _you_ know about driving, Goku?"

"Hey!" Goku pouted, "I got my license fair and square."

"Yeah," Pan grinned and shifted in her stance, "after _how many_ tries?"

"It doesn't matter. We're just wasting time talking about this." Trunks reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the dyno-cap container again.

Sighing inwardly about how he could never hold his ground against Pan, Trunks opened the box and took out the capsule labeled '249'.

"You win." Trunks clicked the container and threw the capsule, like all his pride, away from them.

There was a huge explosion with topsoil rising in clouds of dust around the capsule machine. When the smoke cleared, a beautiful newly-waxed red convertible lay on the grass, shining with a celestial splendor.

"Her name's Van." Trunks tossed a set of keys to Pan.

Pan frowned as she caught the keys in both hands, "Van?"

"Yeah, Goten's girlfriend's nickname. Don't ask me. He named it."

Pan grimaced as she made her way to the right side of the car, "God, I hate how he always gives weird nicknames to all his girlfriends."

Goku perked up as he followed Pan, "He does?"

"Yeah, there was what? Bunker for Tirana?"

Trunks opened the passenger door, "No, it was definitely Bumper. He met her at some Go-Kart place."

"_Bumper?_" Goku cringed.

"And then there was what?" Pan opened the driver's seat door and slid in, "Oh yeah, Sausie for Vienna."

"Yeah… I think that covers the main ones." Trunks leaned back in his seat, taking in the open air of the convertible. "He's been with Havana for a pretty long time."

Goku hopped over the car and settled into the back seat. "Okay, lets get a move on!"

"Giru!" The robot sprung up from Goku's right hand and flew up excitedly. "New adventure! New adventure for Trunks and Pan!"

"Alright, here we go!" Pan turned the key and then floored the gas.

The car sputtered a moment, and then died.

A long pause lingered as the three just sat there.

After a while, Trunks turned his head nonchalantly and gave an emotionless grin. "You _do_ know how to drive _stick_, right?"

Pan sat there another moment in the silence and then gave an embarrassed cough as her cheeks flushed a light pink.

"You _know_… on _second _thought…" Pan gave a large innocent grin as her eyebrows knotted upward, "I think we should maybe_fly_…"

––––––––

––––––––

–4/21/05–

––––––––

ORIGINAL

––––––––

CHAPTER 2

The moon was absolutely enormous. Goku and Pan looked out from the deck to observe a moon that looked remarkably like Earth, revolving around a gigantic green planet that could rival five Jupiters. Trunks was busy typing in coordinates and confirming them with a sheet of paper he had been scribbling on. Pan walked over to him and gave him a little nudge on his shoulder, snapping his attention away from the numbers.

"Is something wrong, Pan?"

"I just thought you'd like to take a nice look at this in the observation room with me and Grandpa. We're going to go up there for a second."

"Pan, I can't. I have to make sure everything is perfect for landing or else we might get pulled into that planet's gravitational field, and although we are used to dealing with 50x gravity, I don't think the ship could get off the planet if we get stuck on it. I don't even believe the planet has a solid core."

Pan frowned a little at Trunks. Trunks sighed to himself thinking how Pan had never been one to hide her emotions. He remembered when he was her age, he was just as bratty and spoiled, but after working as the president of such a large corporation, he had to learn how to hide his feelings, especially when he was angry. Eventually, after years of practice, he got such a hang of it, that he basically eliminated his temper from his personality… but Pan seriously tried his patience. _Can't she see that I'm trying to work here?_ Trunks forced a smile at Pan, and said, between his teeth, "Okay Pan, I'll be up in a minute."

Pan's face lit with joy, and she ran off to join Goku in the observation room, leaving Trunks to handle things alone and in peace for a bit. He still couldn't decide if he enjoyed her company or not. He kept thinking of how things _could _have happened if Goten would have come along. So many of their adventures on this journey would not have been the same if it were not for Pan. If it were just up to him, he'd just grab the dragonballs and run, but somehow Pan managed to involve them in rescuing people and saving each planet from some evil enemy. Sure, it was nice to play the "Hero"s for a bit, going out of their way to help people, but Pan kept forgetting that they had a severe time limit. There were only three months left to this journey and they were still missing three dragonballs. He didn't want to argue with her anymore, but if she intended to save the day AGAIN on his moon, he wouldn't stand for it. He just hoped that Goku would back him up on his opinion. _Just take the dragonball and run… that's what my father would do if he came on this trip._ Although he knew his father would do that, he feared Goku would feel the opposite. Trunks sighed inwardly. All this thinking would get him nowhere in the end. He knew how it would end up. He'd just follow Pan's plan, like always. He was really letting her walk all over him…

He stood up, realizing his daydreaming would not help them land the ship, and walked over to the observation room. He pressed the button to signal the floor to ascend upward, and met the two stargazers in the glass dome. Goku stood with his hands and face pressed against the glass and Pan stood behind him.

"Hey guys, I guess this is it. Another adventure on our hands, right down below," Trunks leaned onto his right leg and folded his arms. "You two ready?"

Goku turned to face Trunks. "Trunks, I have to ask you something seriously."

Trunks raised his eyebrow at Goku. "Well, I'll do my best to answer… what is troubling you?"

Goku walked up to him, his face barely coming up to Trunks' chest as he looked up. "Trunks, I need to know something. This is very very important to me."

Pan turned around to look at Goku, frowning a bit in worry. Even Trunks could feel the anticipation of the question, and began to feel a little anxious. Time seemed to freeze as horrible scenario questions started whipping through Trunks' mind. What in the entire universe could make Goku _this _serious?

Goku continued, "Trunks, you need to tell me… now that you have looked at the moon… Is there _any_ restaurant down there where I could get something to eat!"

Pan cried out, "Grandpa!…."

Trunks moaned in exasperation. "Goku, you are impossible. Can't you _ever_ stop thinking about food?"

Goku rubbed his stomach, looking ashamed, "Yes, after I've eaten something. I'm so hungry, I could eat a dinosaur."

"Knowing you, Grandpa, you _would_."

----------

They disembarked the ship slowly, getting used to the light lunar gravity. Goku was the first one down, and he was hopping around as if he were the twelve year old that Pilaf had wished him to be. "Wow, this is fun! Pan! You can hop really high here!"

"Grandpa, stop acting silly. We need to find that dragonball. GIRU!" At the sound of his name, the little robot flew down the ladder and latched onto Pan's shoulder. Pan smiled happily at Giru and patted him on the head. "Hey Giru, can you tell us where the dragonball is?"

Trunks was the last to climb down the ladder and took out a remote that would close and lock the ship. He looked over at Goku doing flips in the air, and Pan playing with Giru, and sighed to himself. _Why two kids?_ he thought, shaking his head as he put the remote control in Pan's blue backpack that he ended up taking responsibility over.

While the other two were off in their own world, Trunks took the opportunity to look around, walking away from the party. They seemed to be in a large field of pale green grass. The sky had both a bright red sun and a giant green planet hovering above them, adding an eerie effect to the color of the sky, making it a purplish dark blue. _Wow, is that what the moon would have looked like, floating above the Earth_? He had never seen the moon on Earth, since Piccolo destroyed it when Gohan was just a boy. He tore his vision from the planet in the sky and noticed Pan was running toward him yelling something.

She stopped in front of him. "Trunks! Giru says that a dragonball is that way," she pointed to the direction away from the sun, "about twenty miles."

"Wow, that's pretty close. Up for some flight, Goku?" Trunks called out to the young saiyan doing cartwheels by the ship.

"Sure! Let's go!" Trunks and Pan nodded to each other, and they blasted off toward the direction of the Five-Star Dragonball, only twenty miles from their grasp, with Goku and Giru trailing behind.

Trunks was so excited, every second seemed like eternity. Perhaps they might be able to get a Dragonball easily this time, without a hassle. They'll find it in the grass, and be out of there within an hour. He just hoped. He looked over to Pan and smiled. "You know, Pan, after this, we'll have two left, and then we can go home. Do you miss your family back home?"

Pan nodded toward him, the wind causing her bangs to cover her face. "Yeah, I miss my Dad, but I can't wait to tell him all of _my _adventures. Now _I_ can tell _him_ bedtime stories of my travels with you and Grandpa! I'll be able to tell my kids about them, too. I can't wait for that."

Trunks cringed inwardly when he remembered the awkward parts of the conversation from the previous evening, but managed a smile when he shouted over the wind, "You know, speaking of bedtime stories, if you ever want me to tell you the story of how your grandpa and my mom met, I can tell the super-summary and spare you a lot of grief."

When Pan began to laugh, he smiled. _Finally, that story can account for something good._ He looked back to see Goku was catching up. _It's hard to imagine, he looked just like that when my mom met him. It's still a little mind-boggling looking at him this way_. Pan shouted something toward him, but he missed it and asked her to repeat what she said. Instead, she pointed to the ground, and he noticed there was some civilization that they were approaching. They were flying over a road in the plains, but as they neared what they thought was a town, Trunks noted that the road began to get nicer, from dirt, to rock, to gravel, and to stone. When they landed, they noted that their eyes had deceived them, and they were standing before a small city.

"Dragonball detected! Dragonball detected! Giru Giru," Giru was practically doing flips in excitement.

Trunks sighed. "Pan, please don't tell me the dragonball is in the city…"  
"Dragonball detected!" the robot continued on.

"Hey you guys, it looks like we're going to have to work for another dragonball!" Goku seemed a little too happy regarding the situation. Trunks began to realize that this "work" entailed more time.

"Goku! Don't you realize we only have three months till we need to be home? We can't stall here!"

"Ah Trunks, don't worry. It's not like we're dealing with another Dr. Myuu. We'll be out of here in no time, I promise!" Trunks looked doubtfully at Goku after he said this.

"We'll do whatever is necessary to be out of here as quickly as possible? That's a promise!"

"Sure. I promise."

"Pan, do _you_ promise this?" Trunks' hopes were rising about the situation.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise. As long as nobody's in trouble, I promise to get this dragonball as quickly and efficiently as possible. How about you, Giru, do you promise?" Pan gave a big grin to the robot that was dangling off her shoulder and bleeping.

Goku looked concernedly at Trunks a moment before grabbing his arm and pulling him off a few meters away from Pan. "Trunks, you aren't acting like yourself. You usually don't make us go promising these things. What's wrong?"

"I just want to get home. I want there to _be_ a home for when we return, and I was hoping to get back a few days early. I miss my family, and I know you have to miss yours."

"Trunks, we all want to get home. I agree with you. Let's get this dragonball and go. The moon may be fun, but I can't stand the gravity of this situation," and then Goku started to laugh as if he said something funny.

Trunks looked at Goku as if he had drunk a little too much egg nog. "Uh, Goku? I think you spent a little too much time with King Kai." At that, he cracked a grin, then looked over to Pan and saw that she was motioning to them impatiently to "come on!"

He nodded to her. "Alright guys, let's see if we can find this dragonball quickly."

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–9/18/04–


	3. Dragonball wStrings Attchd

CHAPTER 3:  
Dragonball… With Strings Attached

The central city was a great deal larger than they had anticipated. From a distance, the small round white domes seemed to be like decent-sized igloos, but after the trio landed and walked through the main streets, they realized how gigantic the city truly was, since most of it was apparently constructed underground.

Steam rose everywhere from vents causing the air to be humid and stuffy. Hundreds of small moonlanders were bustling about in the streets, speaking both common language and a tongue that was unfamiliar to the Earthlings' ears.

Trunks took a good look around at the inhabitants of the moon. Most of them were only about 4 feet tall, and every one of them wore a long white robe. Their skin was a light pink, and their eyes and hair varied from light lavender to a light red. They all seemed to be ageless, their features friendly, their eyes and smiles welcoming.

Although most of them nodded their heads to Trunks, Pan and Goku in passing, there were a few that still ran away in slight terror. It probably was very uncommon for outsiders to land on their moon. That didn't phase Trunks, though. He kept thinking to himself that they'd be off the moon faster than Giru could say 'danger'.

"So which way now?" Pan was holding Giru in her hands and shaking him slightly as she walked.

"Dragonball detected! Dragonball that way!" Giru pointed down an intersecting avenue which contained numerous vendors and several carts being pulled by creatures similar to small donkeys.

Pan beamed and beckoned with her head for Trunks and Goku to follow her, "Well come on, guys! I think we're getting close."

They continued to walk through the crowds and ultimately came to the center of town – a large white marble square with trees and flowers arranged in perfect symmetry by a giant white dome which towered above their heads. There were countless symbols engraved on its exterior, decorating the entire entranceway and the large white marble doors that led inside.

"So is this the place?" Pan stopped before the doors and held Giru up to look at his radar. "Huh?" She frowned a moment, "Where did it go?"

Trunks blinked in confusion, "What? The dragonball disappeared?" He held out his hands, "Let me see that."

"No wait," Pan stepped back a few meters, away from the dome, and suddenly Giru shouted out about detecting the dragonball again. "That's really strange!"

Goku scatched his head, "What's wrong, Pan?"

Pan took a few moments to step forward and back a few times before ultimately walking forward and standing before the doors. She looked up at the doors and pouted in thought. "That's just strange."

Trunks gestured for her to give him Giru, and when she didn't respond, he walked up to her and gently took Giru out of her hands, "What's the matter, Pan?" Trunks held Giru up and looked at the blank radar and then turned his gaze to her.

Pan shrugged, "If you step away from this place, it says you can sense a dragonball coming from inside this building, but you can't sense it right here. It's like the radar is blocked or something."

Trunks smirked slightly as he turned to look at the doors, "Well, there's only so many places it could go in here. I'm sure _someone_ will know where it is."

"Oh boy," Goku grimaced, "do you think they'd have something to eat in there, too? I don't know how much longer I can stand being _this_ hungry…"

"Yes, yes, we _know_, Goku. You've 'never been this hungry before'." Trunks didn't even bother to look at Goku as he stepped forward. As a quick afterthought, he removed his backpack and placed Giru inside for safe-keeping before putting it on again and staring at the doors.

"So what now?" Pan crossed her arms.

"I guess we knock." Trunks cleared his throat and raised his right hand. However, before he was able to bring his fist to the door, something made a _–click–_ sound, and the door seemed to magically open by itself.

Trunks stood there, blinking, with his fist still balled in front of him as the door creaked open in its entirety and the red sunlight of the world poured into a great hall of pure marble and glass.

"Wow!" Trunks brought his hand down and stepped into the cavernous dome with great awe. "Just look at this place!" He looked up to the enormous paintings on the ceiling, of kais and gods and of two gold rings that had what seemed like lace running through them. The artwork was just magnificent. The room was spectacular.

Trunks' boots made small, barely audible footsteps that were magnified and reverberated off the marble walls. Soon, two more sets of feet followed him inside.

"Oh wow, you guys!" Goku looked up to the ceiling and over to some windows which were shaped in beautiful silhouettes of figures. "Talk about a photo opportunity!"

Digging into his belt pouch, Goku took out a small gray camera and aimed it upward. With one click, his camera flashed, and so did the whole dome for a microsecond as Goku got his shot of the ceiling.

Right then and there, there was suddenly another scuffle of footsteps and a high frantic voice mumbling something inaudible through all the reverberations and echos of the hall. Trunks, Pan and Goku turned to see a small man, barely three and a half feet tall, running toward them with his hands waving for them to stop.

"No! No!" The little man ran up to Trunks and immediately put his hands to Trunks' waist and tried to push him toward the door, "You can't enter this sacred place looking like _that!_"

Trunks blinked as he was being led to the exit by the strange man, "We were only going to be here for a minute."

"Minute or not, nobody be allowed into the temple without wearing white!"

Pan and Goku grimaced as they said in unison, "White?"

"Really, sir!" Trunks dug his heels into the ground and then propped one foot in front of the other to prevent the little man from scooting him any further, "We only came to ask a question!"

The man stopped and sighed defeatedly, "Yes, alright, one question, and then you must go."

Trunks gave a bashful half-grin and scratched behind his head, "Okay, well… um…" He looked at the small man and tried to organize the question in his head, "We were wondering if you had seen a ball that is orange and has any number of stars in the middle?"

"Whaa?" The little pink man gave a confused face.

"It's about this size," Trucks measured with his hands, "And it has either five or three stars, either one. Those are the only two we are missing."

The man gave a blank stare, and for a moment, Trunks was certain they'd have to move on and ask someone else for information, since the little man didn't seem to have any clue what Trunks was talking about.

However, before Trunks could dismiss himself, the man blinked twice and raised both eyebrows, "You mean the Holy Stone? Ay?"

Goku, Trunks, and Pan blinked. They repeated as one, "The Holy Stone?"

"Ya, there were a magical stone that fell from the sky not too long ago, and it landed in the middle of our Temple here. It were sent by some Immortal for us to protect. It be the Holy Stone that has been prophesized for hundreds of years. You speak of this stone?" The little man walked several steps away from Trunks and looked at both Goku and Pan.

Trunks nervously scratched behind his head and gave a weak smile to the man as he responded for the group, "Well, yeah, I believe. Does it look anything like this?" Quickly removing the backpack, Trunks dug past Giru and picked out the first round ball he could find. With a quick movement to make sure Giru didn't escape, Trunks whisked the ball free of the backpack and buckled the top down in one stroke.

"Here," Trunks held out the Six Star Dragonball and showed it to the man.

The man's eyes widened as he stepped back in dramatic incredulity. "How?" His jaw dropped as he looked from the ball to Trunks and back to the ball again, shifting his gaze as if he were not sure which one to revere more. "You…!" The man stepped back and ended up backing up against a bench, "You be not of this moon!"

"That's right!" Pan laughed and put her hands on her hips, "We're from _Earth!_"

"Be you… Be you…?" The man began to tremble slightly, "Be you Immortals?"

Goku gaped, his mouth falling open as he echoed, "Immortals?"

"No!" Trunks shook his head, "No, we're from – as Pan said here – We're from the planet Earth. We just came here looking for our lost ball." Trunks looked at the Six Star Ball another moment before tucking it away in his backpack again.

"Yeah," Pan smiled brightly and brought her arms behind her back as she swayed innocently, "We'd really appreciate if we could have our ball back." She fluttered her eyes, "Pretty please?"

The little man frowned slightly as he regained his composure and stood up straight against the bench. "And just what do you need our Holy Stone for, may I ask?"

Trunks shifted his stance slightly and raised his hands to gesture with the story, "Your 'Holy Stone' will help us save billions of people back on our home planet. We need your 'Holy Stone' and six others of its kind in order to save our planet from exploding."

"Billions!" The man became wide eyed again as he tried to fathom the awesome number. "It… It…" The man faltered in his speech a moment as he looked around and then brought his gaze back to Trunks, "Our prophesy says the Holy Stone has the ability to make a rift between life and death. And it has the power to save lives…"

Trunks nodded, "This is very true. Will you help us?"

"Of course he'll help you!" Pan crossed her arms, "How could he just condemn a whole planet by not wanting to give us our dragonball back."

Trunks grimaced, "Pan, please… let him speak for himself."

The man looked between Trunks and Pan again and reached up to scratch under the little white hat he wore. "I be not sure what a dragonball be, but I can tell you…" He sagged his shoulders and shook his head, "I be sorry, but I cannot help you."

All three of them gasped, "Huh?"

"The power to grant the Holy Stone to mortals be beyond me."

"What do you mean, '_beyond you'_?" Pan snarled and began to seethe.

"The Holy Stone may only be granted to those who have bonded under Kikaru's religion and law. I do not have the ability to give such a religious icon away freely to just any 'stranger-of-space' who wishes to take it."

Pan stomped the ground and shouted, "But we're not _taking_ it! We're just _claiming it back!_"

Pan's voice reverberated and echoed through the vast hall several times before it was quiet again in the temple dome.

The man peered at her quizzically before continuing, "But even still, you be not Kikaruan. By our religion and law, I cannot grant non-Kikaruans our Holy Stone. I be sorry."

"Alright then!" Pan leaned against a bench and tilted her head, "Tell us how we can _become _Kikaruans."

"_WHAT?"_ Trunks spun to gape at her, "Tell me you are _joking!_"

"Well according to _this_ bozo, we have to be Kikaruans. So, it's only _natural_ for us to convert, right Grandpa?" Pan turned her head, "Grandpa?" Seeing him standing with his head down, eyes closed and a slight bubble emerging from his nose, she stomped her foot a second time and cried out "_Grandpa!_"

Goku snorted awake and took a few wobbly steps back as he rapidly came to, "I didn't _eat_ it,I_ swear!"_

"_Grand_pa… augh…" Pan dug her head in her hands and groaned, "Sometimes I wonder how I'm related to you."

Trunks turned to the man and leaned over so he could come closer to matching the man in height, "So, sir… Um… How long would it take for us to become Kikaruans? Is that even possible?"

"Oh, certainly!" The man nodded vigorously, "A bonding should be enough to suffice, I believe!"

Trunks and Pan raised their eyebrows, "A _what?_"

"A _bonding._" The small man blinked and looked questioningly at Pan. "How else may I describe it? It be a _bonding! _Do not you call it a bonding where you be from? A mating? A _marriage?_ Or something similar to that? You _do_ bond with each other, right?"

The man looked over to Trunks for a response, but all he got in return was a speechless stare. He looked to Pan, who had a similar expression, and asked his question again, "Right?"

"Yeah, sure we do!" Goku nodded and grinned sheepishly, "I got married a long time ago!"

Trunks shook his head quickly, trying to rid himself of the shock that just electrified his whole body. Perhaps he didn't hear the little man right. A marriage. It would take a marriage to become a Kikaruan citizen. That was just absurd!

Trunks looked up and frowned deeply, "Let me get this straight… _who_ needs to marry _who?_ One of us needs to "bond" with someone else from this moon!" Trunks felt his stomach getting queasy with the thought of marrying a complete stranger.

"You know..." Pan suddenly cracked a mischievous grin and smirked at Trunks when he said that. "Since I'm only 14, Grandpa is already married, and you're a single bachelor…" Pan walked up to him and patted him twice on the back, "I'd say_ you're _the man for the job, Trunks," she teased him, "so yes, it looks like_ you'll_ have to marry some woman from here."

Trunks just stared at her asPan stepped back with a huge grin on her face. She then began to wiggle her finger at him, "Oh wow, think of all those poor girls at home that swoon over you will feel, finding out you married someone from the moon Kikaru and _left_ her there."

Trunks tried to contain a snarl as he felt his ki rising. There was no way, _no way EVER_, that he would agree to such a stupid act just to get a dragonball back. _I'll just take the dragonball and run…. Take it and run. It's simple._

The pious little man continued, unaware of the mental angst that had been coursing through Trunks. "I say this because the only way to get to the shrine be to be blessed by our Immortal of the Sun, Raiyan."

Goku echoed thoughtfully, "Raiyan?"

The man nodded, "And the only way to get his blessing be to bond and spend an evening in the temple, a very holy place, where the Holy Stone can be found. But only those who have _just bonded_ can enter that temple. Even _I_ cannot enter, since I have entered once before."

Trunks mumbled to himself under his breath, shaking his head with rising anxiety, "This is _ludicrou_s…"

"If you bond, however, you will be granted access. The doors will not open otherwise…"

As the little man continued to ramble on about the rules and regulations of accessing the Holy Stone, it became more and more apparent that the only plausible solution that would save them the most time would be for Trunks get married.

The thought terrified him. "Oh my god…" Trunks' eyes widened as it sank in, what was happening. Trunks was going to have to marry someone to retrieve the ball. "Oh my god… Oh my god…" Trunks looked up, unable to keep his voice to a whisper, his eyes popping, they were so wide, "Oh my god…"

Trunks shook his head and brought his hands to his ears as he doubled over in a panic. This was it. It was either be married to some stranger, or take the dragonball and run. There was no other way.

The thought angered him. He could feel his temper beginning to boil inside him, rising to the surface in torrents of steams, threatening to explode at any minute. His vision went from white to red as his heart pounded.

"Trunks are you okay?"

Trunks felt himself back up against the wall, looking up in a blood rage, only a hair's width away from transforming and venting his anger on the world.

Pan did it again. She did it_ AGAIN!_ She volunteered them to become Kikaruan citizens and now Trunks was going to have to suffer for it, just like before, _every single time!_

"No… _WAY!_" Trunks snarled and snapped, "This is _B#$SHT!_ There is NO GOD that only opens doors for those who 'BOND'! This is _LUDICROUS!_"

Trunks was about to start shouting a string of uncharacteristic obscenities toward the man, and would have advanced on him if it weren't for Pan and Goku who rushed over to restrain him back against the wall.

"TRUNKS," Goku whispered in a hissto him, "Calm down, _NOW_. You can't barge in here and start telling them their religion is wrong. We won't EVER be offered the dragonball that way! Just play along, Trunks. Calm down! Don't go Super-Saiyan over this!"

But nothing Goku could say could suppress Trunks' anger. Everything he had been bottling up inside for the whole trip was threatening to come to the surface right here and right now. This was it. This was the final straw that broke his back, and he had had _enough_.

Trunks snarled and spit out, "I _refuse_ to _bond_ with any of your women, _got that?_"

Pan struggled to restrain his left arm and hissed at him, "Stop acting like a baby, Trunks! Just do it, get it over with, and we can get our dragonball!"

"This is all _your_ fault!" Trunks glared at Pan, "You just volunteered me for this mess, and now I have to marry some girl for no reason and then just _leave_ her!"

"So? She'll get over it!"

"_She'll get over it!_" Trunks practically foamed at the mouth, "How would you like if someone did that to _you_, Pan?"

The little man's eyes were wide as he coughed several meters away from them. "You know…" The man tried to speak, but the trio was arguing against the wall too loud for them to hear him. The man coughed again and raised his voice slightly so the acoustics of the hall could pick it up "_Excuse _me!"

All three stopped and looked to him.

"It's alright, sir, you don't have to bond with anyone."

Trunks' eyes widened a bit, "I don't?" Trunks emitted a visible sigh of release as he relaxed under Goku's and Pan's grip.

The man smiled sweetly and nodded his head toward Pan as he continued, "That _girl_ looks like the perfect age."

Pan looked around and behind her, but didn't see anyone. Blinking twice, she put her right hand to her chest, "Who, _me?_"

"I don't know how old your race usually be, but our daughters are usually bonded by the age of 30." The man smiled, "Of course, our years may be a little different than yours, but you look old enough, and as long as you make verbal vows of loyalty, it should work."

Pan just gaped at the man.

"But I must warn you. The couple that becomes bonded, or as you colloquially call it, '_married_,' cannot go to the altar with false vows. If our Lord Raiyan detects that you intend to abandon her, or him, on the planet after you bond with them, the marriage will not be complete."

Goku frowned, "So you're saying they can only marry someone who will be traveling with them back to Earth?"

The man nodded, "Yes, that be precicely what I be saying." He then looked at Pan and studied her, as she paled to a sickly yellow. "I believe you and this little boy with the dark hair would work well, assuming you are all traveling to the same destination."

While Pan looked angry suddenly, Goku burst out laughing. "I'm not a little boy! I'm her Grandpa! That won't ever work out." Goku grinned, "Besides, I'm already married. Chi Chi would kill me if she found out I also married my own granddaughter!"

Goku then looked around as if he had completely forgotten about the events of the past minute, and his eyes fell on Trunks, whom he was still restraining. "I know! _Trunks_ here can do it."

Trunks' eyes went even wider when he realized whom he'd be marrying. "NO!" 

Goku took Trunks' arm and pulled him to the side away from Pan, and opened his mouth to whisper something quietly. But before Goku could get one sound out, Trunks cut the boy off with two fingers Goku's mouth, and got his word in first. "No means _NO_, Goku." Trunks looked away and settled his gaze on Pan a moment, shuddering at the mental vision of marrying her, and then turned back to Goku.

Trunks lowered his voice more and whispered loud enough for only Goku to hear, "I say we just break into their Temple, take the ball, and leave. It's easy, it's simple, and no GOD is going to come after us for taking back _our_ ball that will _save_ _five billion lives_."

Goku pried Trunks' hand away from his face and held Trunks' wrist tightly as he lowered his brow. "Trunks, I want you to listen to me, and I want you to know I'm very serious when I say this."

"I'm not doing it, Goku."

"Yeah, I know, I got that… but…. this whole marriage bonding thing… He says it only has to be a verbal agreement, right? He didn't say anything about there having to be love?"

Trunks didn't say a word to him. He refused to talk to someone who supported this whole madness. There was just no way. There was no way that he'd ever _ever_ marry Pan, in this lifetime or the next. He just couldn't see it happening. He didn't _want_ it to happen. It was not ever going to be a reality.

Goku turned to the man and asked politely, "Hey mister, I was wondering, does the couple have to be in love when they, um, 'bond'?"

The little pink man fumbled his words for a bit before responding, "Well, we would prefer if the couple were in love, but we still do have some arranged marriages."

Goku turned back to the raging demi-saiyan, "Listen to me, Trunks. All you have to do is stand there and tell her you vow to be her husband, she'll say the same thing to you, go to the temple, grab the ball, get the other two, head back to Earth, and pretend it never happened."

"Easier said than done, Goku."

"There's no law binding you two on Earth, right? It only applies when on this planet." Goku frowned after an unsuccessful smile of encouragement. "Trunks, come on, just play along for once. I don't want to destroy their beautiful temple and get bad karma just because you couldn't roleplay a marriage scenario."

"Bad karma!" Trunks threw his hands up and paced in a circle, "Here we are, trying to gather a dragonball to save our planet, and you're worried about _bad karma_ if I refuse to get married for it!" He stopped and pointed to Goku with a death glare, "Trust me on this one, Goku. You're going to have _a_ _lot _more _'bad karma'_ if we can't gather all those dragonballs in time!"

"Come on, Trunks, be a good sport about it." Goku pushed aside Trunks' pointed hand and gave a supportive grin, "We're all in this together, you know."

Trunks took this opportunity to look over to Pan, to see what she was doing while he was trying his best not to blow up the temple. He saw she was slightly paler than usual, looking down at her bare left hand.

And seeing her look at her left hand made him look at his. His bare, bachelor's left hand. And then the realization sunk in again, that he'd be married to her. To _Pan_…

Trunks tried his best to maintain his calm as he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. _This is just a nightmare. I will wake up with Goku's foot in my face, Pan sleeping in the bunk above us, and we'll be heading to an uninhabited planet to pick up the REAL Dragonball._

"Come _on_…" Goku grinned and nudged him, "Let's get this over with so I can get back to the ship and cook something to eat!"

Trunks' breath caught in his throat. _My great Kami, I'm going to be marrying a 14 year old. The sick thing is that Goku is ENCOURAGING THIS_. He brought his hands up to grab at his hair in his anxiety, his frustration, his panic at knowing this was it. It was all over after this. No more dating, no more late nights, no more freedom… He was going to be a married man…

He turned to face the marble stone wall and leaned his head against it as he sensed Goku leaving his side.

This was too much. He didn't plan for this. He didn't want this.

"Oh god, Goten…" Trunks squeezed his eyes shut and tried to control his breathing, "Right now, I really, really wish you came instead…" Because… if Goten came, then Trunks would be able to talk Goku into grabbing the dragonball and running. They could have done that at every stop. They could have been home by now! But then Pan had to stow away and ruin his entire trip, which he never wanted to go on in the first place.

He heard some mumbling coming to the right of him, and turned his head from the wall enough to see that Goku was by Pan's side, giving her the same pep talk.

This was really happening. This was no dream. The reality of it hit Trunks hard, again and again, like tidal waves of shock flooding his nervous system. He realized his hands were shaking from the stress of the whole situation, and brought them up to the wall, pressing against the cold marble for a moment before pushing himself away.

"Hey Trunks!" Goku approached him and said a little too happily, "I guess now is the time we should be counting our lucky _stars_ that a girl came with us on the trip! Now we'll have a _ball_, partying after the wedding!" Trunks was ready to shoot Goku.

"You're _not funny_. You're _SICK_, Goku."

"Wow, you know, Trunks, I don't think I've ever seen you this angry."

Trunks stepped forward with a snarl, feeling his rage boil again, "Should I be HAPPY about this!"

"Yes! It's your wedding! At least _smile!_"

Trunks couldn't believe it. Goku was getting a kick out of this. That sadistic little bastard was getting a kick out of Trunks' misery. This was just too much.

It… This… It would never happen. There was just no way. He could _never_ feel that way about her, not in a million lightyears…

But as he looked over to Pan, who was still staring out in shock, he felt his anger diminish as he realized she'd probably be going through the same trauma.

It was no secret that Pan and Trunks didn't get along. There were times when they tolerated each other, sure, but the chemistry was almost alwaysoff. She was an immature little leech who selfishly claimed credit for _everything_ and pouted if she didn't get her way, and Trunks was an introverted scientific loner who found more enjoyment while sitting and thinking than having to deal with people. They had nothing in common. All their tastes in music or art, or games or activities, even watching television... _everything_ about them just clashed.

It was just a doomed marriage from the start. It would never last. There was just _no way_, even if they felt positive about this sudden short-notice wedding – that word still made Trunks cringe when thinking of it – that they'd be able to make the marriage work.

And perhaps it was the idea of their future annulment that made Trunks suddenly feel instantly better about the whole marriage. They would have a wedding, take the dragonball, leave, and never consummate their marriage.

That scenario was built into their plans, anyway. At least it gave them a back door. And that realization brought an instant smile of relief to his face, when he realized it truly _was_ going to be a staged act.

He could do it. He knew he could. All it would take is a bit of acting, a lot of patience, and distantly kissing Pan on the cheek at the wedding if they were forced to seal their vows.

Trunks sucked up his pride, gave a confident grin, and closed his eyes. _I can do this_. He walked over to Pan, careful to stride assuredly and professionally. He made eye contact with her, bringing her out of her daze, and then stopped a few inches away from her. It was close enough to look like they were going to hug, or to dance.

The uncomfortable personal bubble had been broken on their parts, but he had to do this. He would not marry anyone any other way. Call it his "mother's" side of him coming out, but it had to be done this way.

He took her hand, got down on his knee, and said between tensely grit teeth, "Pan-chan, will you marry me?"

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–4/22/05–

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ORIGINAL

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CHAPTER 3

The city was bigger than they imagined, mostly because of the fact that a lot of the city was actually constructed underground. The three of them walked through the streets with people bustling around them. The inhabitants of the moon were only about 4 feet high, had pink skin, and all preferred wearing white. Most looked at Goku, Pan, and Trunks and ran in fear. _I guess it's not often they see outsiders on their moon_, Goku thought to himself.

Goku looked over to observe Trunks' and Pan's reactions to the small people. While Trunks didn't seem too concerned with the residents, Pan was staring just as wide-eyed toward them as they stared at her. He smiled to himself, and tried to think back to when he visited Namek, the first planet, not counting Vegeta, that Goku ever visited outside of Earth. It was a strange feeling for him to get adjusted to the fact that he was on a strange planet far away from most of those whom he loved. He knew that it was definetely not Pan's first time on another planet, since they'd been planet-hopping for nine months now, but he could sense that she was still feeling that excitement that came from being in a foreign land.

"Dragonball detected! Dragonball detected!" he was knocked out of his thoughts when Giru pointed to a large dome building that was in the center of the city.

"Wow, look at how big that building is!" he stared at it. It was definetely the biggest building in the entire city. "I wonder what could be inside it?"

"Well, there's only one way to see!" Pan smiled and began walking faster toward the building.

"Hey, Pan, wait up!" Goku tried to walk faster, but it was hard without looking awkward, since his body was smaller than hers, and he had to practically run to keep up with her.

When they came to the main doors of the building, they noticed that there were designs carved on all the stone that framed the doorway. Trunks pushed the doors and they opened easily, revealing the bright white marble interior that glistened celestially.

As they began to walk in, they heard a voice call out from inside "What are you doing! You can't enter this place looking like that? Who are you? What do you want!"

They stopped and looked around. Pan tapped Goku on the chest and pointed toward the aisles of benches that faced toward the front of the building. A little man was peering out fearfully from behind the benches.

"Hahaha! It's okay, sir, we're not here to harm you. Actually, we were just passing through and um," Goku thought how he could word this easily, "we were wondering if you had seen a ball that is orange and has five black stars in the middle?"

"What? The Holy Stone, you mean?"

Goku, Trunks, and Pan blinked. They repeated as one, "The Holy Stone?"

"Yes, there was a magical stone that fell from the sky not too long ago, and it landed in the middle of our Temple here. It was sent by some Immortal for us to protect. It's the Holy Stone that has been prophesized for hundreds of years. You speak of this stone?" The little man came out from behind the bench and approached them cautiously.

Trunks nervously scratched behind his head and gave a weak smile to the man as he responded for the group, "Well, yeah, I believe. Does it look anything like this?" He unpacked the Six Star Dragonball and showed it to the man.

"Oh my goodness! You have one, too. You say you came from space? Are you… are you Immortals that have come to collect your ball back?"

Pan, Trunks, and Goku gave themselves a nervous glance before looking back at the man. Goku opened his mouth, about to clarify the situation, but Pan stopped him and decided to explain, herself. "Okay, I want to say something really quick, to explain all of this, so you know the situation. We came from a planet called Earth, where that ball is from. There are seven balls that look like that one, except with different numbers of stars on them, and we need to collect them all very soon or our planet will explode, so we'd really like if we could have our dragonball back, or else billions of people will die."

Pan nodded to Goku, thinking she had made her point clear and to the point. Then she nodded to Trunks to assure him that they'd be off the moon shortly, just like she promised.

"Pardon me young miss, but did you say you need the Holy Stone to save billions of lives?"

Pan nodded, "yes, so will you help us get it back?"

The little man looked thoughtful for a moment. Trunks had gone a long time reading facial expressions for some of his professional decisions, but he was too nervous to be able to make out what the man would say. After a moment, the little man seemed to come to a conclusion.

"I can't let you take it," the little man said.

"What!" Pan looked incredulously at him. "What do you mean we can't take it? Grrr…" Pan looked as if she were losing her patience, growing flustered. Goku sensed her ki was rising and put a hand on her shoulder to shake his head. "Fine! What can we _do_ in order to have it?"

Trunks felt like he was going to fall over. _Oh no! _Trunks thought despairingly, _She's done it again and offered our services to people who have a dragonball…_ He felt like he could punch a wall. _She always does this!_

"Well, it's simple really. I believe your story, and I think you _should_ be able to have your Holy Stone back if it is to save so many people, but the power to grant you your Holy Stone is beyond me.

"What do you mean, 'grant us' our Dragonball?" Trunks peered at him.

"What do you mean, 'beyond you'?" Pan seethed.

"Well, visitors, I think you need to hear a story of my own in order to fully understand this. It may sound a little odd to you, because you are not familiar with our ways. You say that you need the Holy Stone to save many people. I believe you because that is what a Holy Stone is prophesized to do. But it can only be given to those who have bonded under Kikaru's religion and law. I do not have the ability to freely give such a religious icon away to just any stranger from space who wishes to take it."

_We're on the moon 'Kikaru'? _Goku thought to himself, not realizing how the faces of Trunks and Pan paled to completely white.

"What did you say!" Pan demanded of the man to repeat.

"I said," he coughed a little, "that the Holy Stone can only be given to those bonded under our religion and law."

Trunks eyed him, then turned to look at Pan, "I believe she is asking you to define the word 'bonded'." He suddenly felt a sinking in his stomach.

The small man blinked and looked questioningly at Pan. "How else may I describe it? A bonding! Don't you call it a bonding where you are from? A mating? Something similar to that? You _do_ bond with each other, right?" He looked over to Trunks for a response.

Trunks felt like he was going to turn green under the man's stare and slowly began to back up against the wall. "Let me understand something… who needs to bond to who? One of us needs to "bond" with someone else from this moon! What exactly do we do when we bond?" He glanced quickly over to Goku, who was just beginning to realize what they were talking about and started to smile.

Pan grinned mischievously at Trunks when he said that. "Well, since I'm only 14, Grandpa is already married, and you're a single bachelor, I'd say you're the man for the job, Trunks," she teased him, "so yes, it looks like_ you'll_ have to marry some woman from here." She began to wiggle her finger at him, "Oh wow, think of all those poor girls at home that swoon over you will feel, finding out you married someone from the moon Kikaru and left her there."

Trunks felt his ki rising. There was no way, _no way EVER_, that he would agree to such a stupid act just to get a dragonball back. _I'll just take the dragonball and run…. Take it and run. It's simple._

The pious little man continued. "I say this because the only way to get to the shrine is to be blessed by our Immortal of the Sun, Raiyan, and the only way to get his blessing is to bond and spend an evening in the temple, a very holy place, where the Holy Stone can be found. But only those who have bonded can enter that temple. Even I cannot enter. If you bond, however, you will be granted access. The doors will not open otherwise." While the man was saying this, Trunk's temper was flying through the roof. All his patience was gone. He felt like he was about to explode from rage and began to scream out what he_ really _thought of the whole situation.

"That's B#$SHT! There is NO GOD that only opens doors for those who 'BOND'! That's _LUDICROUS!_" Trunks was about to start shouting a string of uncharacteristic obscenities toward the man, and would have advanced on him if it weren't for Pan and Goku who rushed over to restraining him back.

"TRUNKS," Goku whispered to him, "Calm down, _NOW_. You can't barge in here and start telling them their religion is wrong. We won't EVER be offered the Dragonball that way! Just play along, Trunks. Calm down! Don't go Super-Saiyan over this!" Trunks was fighting them, determined to teach this alien a lesson for pulling the most horrible prank he'd ever experience in his life.

The little man looked a bit nervous, seeing Trunk's reaction, and decided to clarify something so Trunks wouldn't be upset. "It's alright, sir, you, alone, don't have to bond with anyone. That girl looks like the perfect age. I don't know how old your race usually is, but our daughters are usually bonded by the age of 30. Of course, our years may be a little different than yours, but she looks old enough, and as long as she makes verbal vows of loyalty, it should work. But I must warn you. The couple that becomes bonded, or as your lady friend puts it, "married," cannot go to the altar with false vows. If our Lord Raiyan detects that you intend to abandon her, or him, on the planet after you bond with them, the marriage will not be complete."

The little man looked at Pan and studied her, as she paled to a sickly yellow. "I believe you and this little boy with the dark hair would work well, assuming you are all traveling to the same destination." While Pan looked angry suddenly, Goku burst out laughing.

"I'm not a little boy! I'm her Grandpa! That won't ever work out." Goku looked around, and his eyes fell on Trunks, who he was still restraining. "I know! Trunks here can do it."

"NO!"

Goku took Trunks' arm for the second time that day and pulled him to the side, but before he could open his mouth, Trunks got his word in first. "No means NO, Goku. I say we just break into their Temple, take the ball, and leave. It's easy, it's simple, and no GOD is going to come after us for taking back OUR ball that will SAVE FIVE BILLION LIVES."

Goku put up his hand to silence Trunks. "Trunks, I want you to listen to me, and I want you to know I'm very serious when I say this."

"If this is about food, Goku, it can wait."

"No, this isn't about _food_. It's about you and Pan. This whole marriage bonding thing. He says it only has to be a verbal agreement, and he didn't say anything about there having to be love." Goku turned to the man and asked politely, "Hey mister, I was wondering, does the couple have to be in love when they, um, bond?"

The little pink man fumbled his words for a bit before responding, "Well, I would prefer if the couple were in love, but we still do have some arranged marriages."

Goku turned back to the raging demi-saiyan, "Listen to me, Trunks. All you have to do is stand there and tell her you vow to be her husband, she'll say the same thing to you, go to the temple, grab the ball, get the other two, head back to Earth, and pretend it never happened. There's no law binding you two on Earth. It only applies when on this planet. Trunks, just play along for once. I don't want to destroy their beautiful temple and get bad karma just because you couldn't roleplay a marriage scenario."

Trunks tried his best to maintain his calm. _This is just a nightmare. I will wake up with Goku's foot in my face, Pan sleeping in the bunk above us, and we'll be heading to an uninhabited planet to pick up the REAL Dragonball._ Goku nudged him for a response. His words caught in his throat. _My great Kami, I'm going to be marrying a 14 year old. The sick thing is that Goku is ENCOURAGING THIS_.

He was painfully aware that Goku was no longer in front of him, but by Pan's side, giving her the same pep talk. This was really happening. This was no dream. The reality of it hit Trunks hard. _What could Goten have done if we were met with this situation? We'd be FORCED to tear down that Temple_…

It was as if Goku could read his mind. "Hey Trunks!" he said a little too happily, "I guess now is the time we should be counting our lucky _STARS_ that a girl came with us on the trip! Now we'll have a _ball_, partying after the wedding!" Trunks was ready to shoot Goku.

"You're NOT FUNNY. You're SICK, Goku."

"Wow, Trunks, I don't think I've ever seen you this angry."

"Should I be HAPPY about this!"

"Yes! It's your wedding! At least smile!" Goku was getting a kick out of this.

Trunks' rage was threatening to boil again, but he purposely calmed himself with several deep breaths. He looked over to Pan, who was still staring out in shock, and kept repeating in his head "_I can do this… I know I can do this. The marriage will be called off when we leave this planet. It'll be treated like the practical joke that it was. I'm just taking this too seriously_…"

His stomach knotted and he felt like he would be sick. _Think happy thoughts_…_Work. Wait, no, that's not a happy thought. Mom….? Nope… Dad? Eh. Bra, there. That's happy thought. Goten. Bra and Goten. Okay, maybe not both of them together. Marron? I haven't talked to her in years and years. Goku makes me happy, but I'm NOT happy with him right now…. _

He sucked up his pride and closed his eyes. _I can do this_. He walked over to Pan, careful to stride confidently and professionally. He made eye contact with her, bringing her out of her daze. He stopped a few inches away with her. It was close enough to look like they were going to hug, or to dance. The uncomfortable personal bubble had been broken on their parts, but he had to do this. He would not marry anyone any other way. Call it his "mother's" side of him coming out, but it had to be done this way.

He got down on his knee, and said between tensely grit teeth, "Pan-chan, will you marry me?"

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–9/18/04–


	4. Letting Off Steam

CHAPTER 4:  
Letting Off Steam

Trunks lay in bed that evening, trying to review in his mind all the events that had happened that day. He sat up and looked out the window seeing nothing but stars. At one point, those stars had represented adventure and freedom. At first, he had been a little reluctant to leave the Earth, especially when he found out Goten wasn't coming along, but after he helped Pan get over the homesickness phase, the grand tour ended up having its really great moments. The only problems were the bad moments. And they seemed to be coming even more frequently these days.

He gently pushed his covers aside and carefully stepped over Goku, avoiding Pan's hammock above them as he got out of bed. What he needed was a stroll to really think things over. He inched along in the darkness, trying his best not to trip on any of Pan's junk on the floor. He reached into the open closet and felt around for a clean outfit. After a few seconds of probing, he realized there was an outfit at the very back of the closet that had an odd texture. He could have sworn it was jeans, but he didn't pack any jeans for the trip. _Hmm, maybe Pan's clothes ended up in my closet somehow? _When he exited the room and got a better look at the outfit he chose, he realized he was holding an old outfit of his that his mother made for him when he was younger, but he only wore it once before he concluded it wasn't his style. He smiled to himself, thinking it'd be nice to try a different outfit on. He had been wearing the same suit attire for the past year.

After getting dressed and looking himself in the mirror, however, he made a face. To this day, he could not say that a black tank top, jean jacket and Capsule Corp. logo on his sleeve, were in any way his style. _I'm way too old for this outfit_... _I feel like I need a motorcycle to balance out my image. _He thought it would be a shame, though, if he stuffed it away in the closet again only to be lost for another ten years. _Maybe I can donate it to Pan and see if she'll modify it to her liking. She might like the jacket._

Pan.

In his one attempt to humor himself, he had successfully driven her out of his thoughts for a few minutes, but once again, his mind was on her again. He sighed and closed the closet doors. He needed the walk right now, even though he felt a little overdressed. A sound behind him made him jump to his feet and spin around.

"T-Trunks!" Goku rubbed his eyes sleepily, "Wow, that outfit still looks great on you. It's been a while since I've seen you in that."

"A while?" Trunks gave him a confused look. "You actually remember me wearing this before? I'm surprised." He shook his head, changing his thought. "In any case, Goku, I'm glad you're awake. May I talk with you in private somewhere?"

Goku nodded to him. "Sure, Trunks. I can tell something's up. The fact that you're wearing that outfit is significant enough. And then you tell _me_ that you can't get used to seeing _me _in a younger form."

"What are you talking about, Goku? You can't appreciate me in jeans?" Trunks raised his eyebrow to Goku as he began to climb the ladder exiting the ship.

"No, no. Never mind. So, Trunks, what did you want to talk about?"

Goku flew down, not even bothering with the ladder, and landed beside Trunks on the grass.

"I guess I just wanted to talk. About everything; about nothing. I feel like I'm bottling something up inside me, and I need to get it out, but I'm not sure what it is, and I don't have anyone else I can talk to." Trunks started walking away from the ship, looking up at the stars. To the east, a faint green light on the horizon indicated the planet would be rising soon.

Goku followed him in silence. He was thinking of hundreds of things to say, but he felt as if Trunks should be the first one to speak. Although he felt he wouldn't be much help to Trunks, he could perhaps support him and help his confidence. Trunks had been really down since the previous afternoon when he found out he had to marry Pan.

Trunks suddenly stopped and sat down on the grass, motioning for Goku to join him.

"Goku," Trunks started, but found it hard to continue his sentence. He tried it again, "Goku, it's weird for me to say this, or think this. And I've never actually talked openly about it." Goku nodded to Trunks, inviting him to continue. "Goku, to put it bluntly, I guess, I am afraid of marriage."

"Afraid?" Goku's eyebrows knotted in a frown. "Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I don't want to have a relationship like the one my father and mother have. And I don't have to worry about being a bad father one day, and I don't have to fear getting my heart broken if things don't work out. When I was younger, the idea of a marriage was a lot more romantic to me, but nowadays, I feel I'd be a horrible match for a woman. I think that my pride would get in the way."

Goku laughed at this. "Your pride? Is that what your problem is? How about you just tell the girl how you feel about her right off the bat, so you never have to worry about pride getting in the way of your feelings? You may be surprised... although she may seem a little much to handle, I know she's going to be a beautiful lady when she's older. And to tell the truth, you two –"

"Goku, I'm not talking about Pan!" Trunks felt his frustration increasing. "You know what, Goku, I am not sure if I really want to talk about this anymore. I wanted to take a walk to get my mind off of Pan for a moment, but I feel like talking to you will only spur me to talk about her, and I may say some things I'll regret later."

"Why would you regret them? Don't you like Pan? I really thought you felt otherwise."

"Goku, listen, you aren't a matchmaker. At first, your comments about us were cute, laughable, and I could easily shrug them off my shoulder. After a while, they began to get embarrassing, and now that it's HAPPENING, where I'm being forced to marry her, it's not funny anymore." Trunks folded his arms and looked away from Goku, trying to hide the scowl on his face.

"Trunks, listen, if you are angry just because you feel you are being forced to marry her, versus marrying her of your own free will, don't worry about it. In the end, your lives will be happy no matter what." Goku stood and walked right next to Trunks.

Trunks had enough. He stood up, and began to walk away from Goku and back toward the ship. After several strides, he stopped, and turned around, seething in anger, with his hair beginning to flash gold. "No, Goku, _you_ listen. I think Pan is a spoiled brat! I think she's selfish and stubborn, self-centered, naïve, young, immature, arrogant, loud, and audacious! _That's_ how I feel about her. Be mad at me all you want for feeling that way, but I knew she meant trouble the _second_ we found her as a stowaway."

"Trunks, I just think you need to calm down..."

"How can I be calm! My wedding is tomorrow. I'm 28. She's 14, and I CAN'T STAND HER! I can't even imagine myself with her, in 50 years or 100. It'll never happen. I can accept the fact that it's all a façade to get the dragonball, but I can't take any more of your hints that she and I will be together after this tour is over! Just QUIT IT."

Goku suddenly looked stricken and sad. Trunks had rarely seen Goku look so depressed before, and powered down with worry that he may have gone a little overboard with his temper. "Goku, I'm sorry. I didn't mean everything I said about –" Trunks cut himself off, noticing that Goku wasn't looking at him, but what was behind him.

"You... BASTARD..." he heard the voice at his back. His hairs stood on end as he turned around and saw a tear-stained face of Pan in the planetlight.

"Pan..."

"Why can't you just say it to my face then, Trunks? Say it straight to my face that you hate me!"

Trunks started to feel sick, "Pan, I don't hate you..." He started shaking for some reason, and didn't understand why. "Pan, I don't... I don't hate you."

"I get it," Pan spat at him, "You'd rather marry GOTEN, huh? Is that what this is all about, how you can't stand that I came instead of your _boyfriend_?"

"Pan..." He started to feel dizzy. _My Kami, she heard what I said about her. But I didn't mean it. I didn't mean all of it. I was just so angry..._ Trunks covered his face with his left hand, trying to take any last moments to regain his composure in front of her, but too ashamed to actually look at her.

"Pan," Goku said to her. "Can I talk with you a minute?"

"Sure, Grandpa, anything to get away from Trunks."

As the two walked off, Trunks stood there, thinking to himself. _I didn't mean all of it. But what of it didn't I mean? I said she was selfish and audacious and arrogant... It's all true. But I didn't mean the tone which I said it in. How will Pan ever trust my friendship again?_ He ran his left hand through his hair, and looked over to where Pan was crying and Goku was tying to comfort her. "I made her cry..." he thought aloud to himself. She had just cried a few weeks ago when she thought he died on M2, when his metal encasing shattered. Before that, she hadn't cried since the second month of the trip, when she was blasted with sand on that desert planet they had been on. She cried only three times during the entire trip, and twice of those times were over him. He felt even more sick.

He looked over to Pan and Goku again and tried to imagine Pan being older. What if Pan were as old as he, would he be feeling as sick about the wedding? Would he take it as seriously? More seriously? Right now, he felt like he'd do just about anything to make her happy again, including marrying her twenty times over if it got her to smile, but he knew in the morning, when she'd be up to her old self again, he'd rethink that idea. He wasn't going to marry her out of pity. It would be for the dragonball. They'd already been on this moon far too long. The sooner they'd leave, the quicker this would be over.

He realized, with a bit of his father's smirk, that he actually achieved what he came out here for. He wanted to vent out his feelings and mentally prepare himself for tomorrow. He didn't want to be feeling regrets at the altar. He felt ready for anything at this point, and it was crossing his mind that he was beginning to look forward to the wedding. It'd be a nice experience for him. He just wished that his bride would be feeling the same confidence.

He looked over to them again. Pan was still sniffling and Goku was saying something to her while patting her back. He felt a pang of jealousy for Pan, that she could have a fatherly figure like that, even though Goku was younger than her now, from both her grandfather and Gohan. Trunks never was able to open himself up when he was growing up. His father never talked to him that way, and his mother never could understand what he was feeling. She'd always take any of his worries personally, and try to do her best to remedy the problem herself, versus letting him handle things on his own.

He thought of how Goku was smiling this afternoon when he realized Trunks would be his new grandson. _I would make a bet that Gohan would be expressing that same smile, for some reason_. That family could never take anything seriously. That's what his mother loved about Goku, how he was so free-spirited. There were even times when he had a disturbing thought, that his mother found comfort in his father, in the early days, only because he and Goku had the same heritage, and it was his mother's only way of substituting someone instead of Goku. He knew for a fact that his father was beyond intolerable back then, and nobody would really understand why she had the patience to put up with him when she was just as bad, herself. He just had this feeling that she never made her move on Goku earlier in life because he was too young, and because she was too proud to face her feelings. Because of that, she ended up losing him forever to Chi Chi.

How old was Goku when he married Chi Chi, anyway? He heard somewhere that he was sixteen, which was relatively young. _My goodness...if Goku was sixteen, that would have made mother in her late twenties..._ For some reason, he felt as if he were experiencing a deja-vu. He glanced over to Pan and Goku again, where he noted Pan was doing much better, and even seemed to be smiling at her grandfather.

He took a few breaths, and looked again. This time, she was looking at him. "I need to talk to her. I can't let what I said go unexplained," he held his breath, and began walking over to the two. To his surprise, they started walking toward him, too. When they met, Goku was the one to speak first, "I'm going to go to bed and get a little more sleep. Goodnight you two." And he began to walk toward the ship. Trunks turned to Pan, thinking she might try to avoid him by following her grandfather, but she stood fast. Trunks took a breath to say something, but Pan interrupted.

"Why in the world are you wearing that, Trunks? I didn't get a chance to ask you that before."

Trunks was a little taken aback by her comment. He blinked, "What?"

"That outfit. You in jeans. That's a funny sight!" She covered her mouth as she emitted quiet laughter. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you look great. It's just that I've never seen you in jeans before."

"Yes, you have. I used to wear them all the time when you were younger. I don't even think I owned khakis when I was in college."

"Yeah, well, Mirai Trunks' outfit was definitely not a common outfit in your wardrobe, nevertheless."

"What are you talking about? He wore jeans?"

"No, you Baka! When I was helping Bulma pack for you, she showed me that outfit and told me that your future self used to wear that. I told her to pack it just in case, but I never thought you'd actually _wear_ it!"

He was wearing his other self's outfit. He felt like a dunce. And, he felt fooled by both his mother and Pan. "So when Goku said earlier that he hadn't seen me wear this in a while, he was referring to Mirai Trunks as the "me" of his statement!"

Pan was quite sure that Trunks would start to get angry again. He had been having a hard time controlling his anger lately, and had the feeling that she was the cause of it. After hearing him complain about it, it confirmed her fears, but she understood why he'd be feeling angry and taking it out on her. They all wanted to go home, and they all, in their own way, were cracking down. But while she let out her anger verbally, he held it all in and pretended to be fine. At some point, she knew he'd have to crack. She tensed, readying herself for a string of insults after her comment comparing him to Mirai Trunks, but it never came. Instead, he started to chuckle slightly, and it grew until it became a laugh. And even that grew to a belly laugh that doubled him over, unable to breathe. Pan looked at him in bewilderment, not sure how to interpret his reaction. After a few minutes, he was able to stand up and wipe his forehead with his forearm.

"You know, Pan, I think that's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time!" He laughed quietly to himself. "This whole time, your grandpa and I were talking, and I looked just like Mirai Trunks. That's hilarious!"

"You're... not angry?" Pan raised her eyebrow at him expectantly.

"Twenty minutes ago, I would have fooled myself into being angry for no reason. But I realize that I have nothing to be angry about. All I needed was to vent a bit, but when I step back and fully comprehend what's going on in my life, I can see that I was just acting like an idiot. I realize now, I'm possibly one of the luckiest men in the universe." Trunks smiled down to Pan.

"Lucky? But I understood that you think that I am selfish and –"

"No, Pan. I don't. I'm about to experience a wedding with a beautiful young lady who has the strongest will of any girl I'll probably ever meet, who is a hero to anyone in need, who offers her time and her patience to help others, who never stops fighting for what she wants, who never gives up, and can forgive a fool of a man who lost control of his temper a little while ago for no reason except his own pride."

"Trunks..." he could hear her sniffle.

"Don't cry again, Pan. I'm sorry if I made you cry." He looked down into her eyes.

She smiled as tears formed in her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a warm hug. She held him back, smiling broadly. "No, Trunks, I'm not crying. I've just never had anyone say that to me before and I'm too happy to be able to express myself." He smiled into her shoulder and held her tighter.

When they pulled away, he put both his hands on her shoulders and looked right into her eyes. "Pan, I am not sure what to expect from this wedding/bonding thing today. But I want you to know that I'm ready for it, and I will be holding no regrets."

She smiled and nodded her head. "I'm ready, too, Trunks, but I think that Grandpa is right to say we need a little more sleep. Remember, we _do_ have to spend a night in the temple together. I think I'll need a bit more beauty sleep for that!"

Trunks blinked and stood still as she laughed and started running toward the ship. _What? A night together in the temple?_ He felt his shoulders slump and sighed. Whatever happened in the temple would have to wait till later.

"It's going to be a long day..."

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–9/18/04–


	5. Dressed for the Occasion

CHAPTER 5:  
Dressed for the Occasion

Trunks looked in the mirror and frowned. He turned to his left side, observing his outfit, and glanced over to Goku, who was sitting in a chair across the room, watching him. They were in a dressing room with several other small Kikaruan women surrounding him, babbling among themselves in their native tongue as they tailored the fabric.

"I look ridiculous," Trunks sighed, "Why do they make the _men_ wear the dresses?"

Goku smiled and put his arms behind his head. "Ah, cheer up, Trunks! You look great, and apparently that's the latest wedding fashion here. I just wish I could have brought a camera."

Trunks groaned to himself as the women continued to measure the skirt length of his white gown. "Goku, I feel so embarrassed in this thing. Isn't there any way I could wear a robe or something? A suit, preferably!"

"Aww, but Trunks, you look so nice. You shouldn't feel so glum about the outfit. It's perfectly normal around here for men to get married in that. It's not like you're in a girl's wedding dress like last time."

"Shhhhhh!" Trunks panicked, and gestured to the women who were babbling, "That never happened." He coughed, and glanced at one of the girls looking at him. "It-it was just a dream you had one night..."

"What? It didn't happen?" Goku got a confused expression on his face suddenly and sat forward. "Wow, I could have sworn it was real! I don't understand. I really thought it happened..."

Trunks' mouth fell open in astonishment. _Wow, Goku is really gullible._

"Well, you should hear it then, Trunks! It was really good. All three of us landed on a planet that had earthquakes, and you had to dress up as a woman and pretend to marry the giant that was –"

"Goku, could you tell this to me _later_?" Trunks moaned through gritted teeth, tightening his fists at his side.

"Oh, sure, Trunks. You're right! Pan might like to hear it, too!" Goku stood up and walked over to Trunks, getting a closer look at what the women were doing. "It really is coming along well, Trunks. I wonder what Pan is wearing."

Trunks cringed at the thought. _If a male's dress is this long, imagine what the girl has to wear... and Pan wearing that dress..._ "Hey Goku, maybe you should go check on her. I don't believe I've ever seen Pan in a dress before. I think she might be going into shock."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine. But you're right, I should visit her. I'll be back soon." Goku walked to the door that lead to the hall and turned around. "Will you be okay?"

"Just go," Trunks sighed. As the door closed, he turned to look at himself in the mirror again and moaned, "She'd better not be wearing a suit..."

––––––––

Pan was frowning in the mirror when she heard a quick knock and the door begin to open. _Oh no! Nobody can see me in this! This is so humiliating!_ She ducked behind a couch that was in the room, hoping the trail of her dress would blend into the fabrics that were strewn all over it.

"Pan? Are you in here?"

"No, I'm not. Go away." She felt like she would just die from embarrassment.

"Pan, I just heard you! Are you _sure_ you're not here?" She heard Goku step into the room and start walking around.

"No, Grandpa, I'm not here! So _go away!_"

"Aww, I just wanted to visit and see how you were doing. Is everything okay?"

"_No!_ I'm _not_ okay! Please..." She felt like she was going to cry. "Grandpa... I don't want to be seen right now." Pan tried to quickly think of some excuse why he could not see her. "I, uh... I don't want anyone to see the bride before the wedding."

"Oh okay. I'm sorry. I'll leave, then."

After she heard the door shut, she peeked out from behind the couch and sighed in relief. _Wow, that was too close..._ She stood in front of the mirror and turned around. _It's beautiful. I could wear this a prom, if I trim off the length a bit, but there is no way in all the world I'd ever willingly touch this thing again after today..._

The door suddenly swung open. "Oh yeah, Pan, I forgot to tell you..." Goku stopped in his tracks, and stared at her, open-mouthed.

Pan felt like she'd have a heart attack. "Grandpa! Get out! GET OUT!" She ran toward him in a rage that would have rivaled even Bulma's.

"P-P-... Goku just stared in a stupor. "P-...Pink..?"

Pan smacked into him so hard, he flew out the door and crashed through the hallway's wall with a loud "_BANG!_", crumbling an entire side of the hallway, and into the next room over. She _slammed_ the door and ran over to the couch, intent on dragging it and blocking off the only entrance to the room, but a knock on the door froze her.

"Grandpa, you can't be serious!" She growled and stomped over to the door. "Grandpa... you have got to be the stupidest, most idiotic _little boy_ that I've ever met, if you really think you can _ever_ get on my good side _EVER AGAIN!_"

"Uh, miss?" she heard a quiet voice behind the door.

"Oh, it's you." Pan opened the door a crack to look out at the little man they had first met. He stood there in a nice white robe, looking a little nervous and twiddling his fingers together in anxiety. "What's wrong?"

The little man gulped a bit and glanced away, looking down the hall to see if anyone was coming. "May I come in for a minute?"

Pan's eyes narrowed. _There is no way I'm going to let him see this dress._ "What do you want?"

"Well," the man looked at her again. "I want to tell you what goes on in a bonding here. Ibe not sure if yoube familiar with our customs. I just want to make sure you know what you bedoing..."

"Oh." Pan rolled her eyes upward in thought. "Well, I guess I could let you come in. I guess every rule has some exception. You're right, I need to know what's going to go on." She opened the door with a sweeping gesture to the room, and the man cautiously entered.

"By the way," the man said, "I don't think I ever formally introduced myself. My namebe Hikaru, and I'll be performing the service today with my mate, Lelanu."

Pan cleared the fabrics to the side of the couch and sat down, patting beside her, inviting him to sit. He just stared at her, standing fixed in his place. "Come on, sit down. Is it a long explanation?"

"Well, no, not really," Hikaru blinked. "It benot long enoughthat we have to sit, but if you insist..." The little man sat down, edging himself to be as far away from her as possible when on the couch.

"So is there something important you want to say?" Pan raised her eyebrow at him.

"Because I don't believe you will be staying after yoube married, I will skip over the marital customs of this moon. But the wedding itself has a lot of tradition to it that you need to uphold, or you might upset our mighty Lord Raiyan."

"Has Trunks heard any of this yet?"

"No, miss, he has not. I have decided to come to you first because theybe still preparing his outfit and he bea little busy at the moment." The man uneasily shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable.

Pan felt impatience start to creep up on her. "You know, you don't have to be scared of me. I'm not going to bite. Seriously." She could not help but notice how uncomfortable he was around her.

"Miss..." Hikaru paused and seemed to work up some confidence before looking her in the eyes, "Were it you who destroyed the wall in our hallway?"

"No, that was my Grandpa. I simply kicked him out of my room. He was the one that crashed into your walls. But I'm sorry. Is that why you are upset?"

"We have a rule that no violence may occur during our ceremony. It shall be peaceful and harmonious. All unions under our Lord will be so. I just hope yoube able to control your anger during the ceremony. I know how you were so against the idea of it yesterday."

Pan scoffed at him. "Actually, that was more of Trunks' anger, but he'll probably appreciate the warning. What else do _I_ need to know?"

"We have a certain tradition that might trouble you. I want you to be aware of this before you perform it." Pan raised her eyebrow a bit but waited for him to continue. "You see, we have rings that the couple will don during the ceremony..."

"Oh that's the problem? Pfft, we have rings at home. Don't worry about that. Although I don't wear jewelry, I don't think that any ring would be a problem to me."

"No miss. That benot the problem. You see, you must present the rings to each other and chant an incantation while slipping it onto the others' finger. That incantationbe what bonds you until one passes onto Raiyan's realm."

"What are you saying? That we'll cast some sort of spell on each other that makes us fall in love forever or something?" Pan was beginning to believe the man about how she might begin to feel troubled.

"No. It bejust that it will bond you. After this incantation, you will not be able to be bonded with anyone else..."

Pan stood up and faced the man, putting her hands on her hips in frustration. "What are you _saying_! I don't understand you. How will we be bonded? Do we lose any part of our personality? Do we become slaves to each other? Do we lose our will powers? What the heck could possibly be wrong with a ring incantation?"

The little man stood up and bowed politely to her. "I besorry, Miss. No, you wont be affected at all by it. It's just that you won't be able to bond with anyone else. The rings symbolize the bonding that you have already encountered, and we mate for life."

"Oh, I get it. I guess the rings symbolize a lot to you guys." Pan pondered a moment, observing his nod toward her. "On Earth, it symbolizes a lot as well. Don't worry, I'll take care of the ring." She smiled at the man, who visibly sighed in relief. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Yes, and this be very important. When you enter the Temple, you be not allowed to be clothed."

Pan flopped to the floor, turning as red as a beet._ He's got to be kidding me!_ "No... clothes...?"

"Our Temple be a sacred place. Our Lord Raiyan believes that his subjects should not feel the need to hide any part of themselves from him. And, considering you would have bonded to your mate, it symbolizes your trust in him, to understand that he fully accepts you for the person you be, and not by the mask you wear."

_This can't be happening. Me, naked in a room with Trunks, of all people. This is NOT happening..._ "Can't I bring in any cloth? Even rags? Anything at all?"

Hikaru shook his head, "Absolutely not. That would be hypocrisy."

Pan gulped, fearing the worst. Her stomach was reeling, and she was beginning to see stars.

"Is there... anything else you want to tell me?"

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–_9/20/04_–


	6. Marriage is like a Meal

CHAPTER 6:  
Marriage is Like a Meal

One hour until the wedding. Pan stood there, trembling in her gown. She hugged her arms to herself, hoping she was just shaking from the cold. The door was right behind her, the one that would lead her out to the most humiliating moment of her life, all for a stupid, stupid dragonball. A young woman was before her, telling her something that she couldn't hear. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine how she and Trunks could ever really act the same toward each other after this. Although Goku was humored by the whole ordeal, he didn't seem to realize that this moment would change her in some way, forever. Whenever she'd really get married, officially, on Earth, she'd be thinking of this day and wondering how she could possibly marry someone else after she'd sworn her life away to Trunks, of all people.

Someone was nudging her, and she opened her eyes to see a mirror held up to her face. Apparently, the girl was saying she had fixed a few stray hairs that were making their way out of the bun on her head. The girl continued to babble something, but Pan didn't care. She stared at herself, in awe of the fact that she looked so much like her grandma when she was younger. _I wonder what Grandma Chi Chi would ever say if she found out about this?_ Pan got this terrible gut feeling about the consequences and felt like she might panic. _I hope she never finds out! _A scowl formed on her face as her brows knotted in thought. _I wouldn't have to worry, though. She'd blame all of this on Grandpa..._ Pan pondered this, and suddenly began to feel a little angrier. _It IS all of Grandpa's fault! _Her fists clenched as she growled into the mirror._ What am I doing here? Grandpa is out there right now, reserving a first row seat to my fake wedding with Trunks, who despises me and wishes I never came on the trip, while I have to wear a bright pink dress and after it's all over, strip all of my clothes away for a crappy honeymoon in a marble jail cell! _Pan was beginning to seethe in rage. Several items in the room began to shake with the rising of her ki, but she had no interest in masking it. _Let Grandpa know how angry I am! I'm not going to just sit here and take this while he makes a joke of this later with Krillin over dinner. _She couldn't take it anymore. The thought of her being the laughing stock of all her family's friends after this...!

She smacked the mirror away from the girl, letting it shatter on the floor, and released a raging scream that seemed to tear the moon apart. Everything in the room, now, was trembling violently with her anger. The girl who had been tending her ran out the doorway, flailing her arms as if abandoning ship, and yelling something in her native tongue to all those who were experiencing the earthquake, most likely telling them to run for their lives. Pan stood there, shaking in a fury as the door slowly closed, shutting her out from the rest of her life. Seven years bad luck littered the floor by her feet. Something stirred inside her, a hidden power she'd never be able to reach, but it fueled her, and enraged her, and swallowed her while. Seeing the world turn red before her eyes, she screamed curses at the top of her lungs, backed by every ounce of ki that she could summon forth: "_There had BETTER be a dragonball in that Temple, because if I went through all of this for nothing, someone's going to_ PAY!"

––––––––

Trunks felt it long before the people started screaming in the hallways. One hour till the wedding, and already, everyone's lives were being ruined. _What did she do now? _He shook his head, ridding her from his thoughts, and began to concentrate more on the robot that was beginning to spin in terror. While Trunks was sitting on the couch, trying to relax and get his thoughts together, Giru was going berserk in the corner.

"Giru senses danger! Danger! Danger! Trunks in danger!" Giru began knocking into the wall in madness.

"Easy, Giru, it's just Pan letting out her anger about the whole mess, and I don't blame her." Trunks reached out his arms. "Come here, Giru." When the robot didn't respond to him, he added, "I'll protect you if she comes in, don't worry." He smiled a bit to the robot that was flailing its arms wildly. Goku had gone back to the ship earlier, to eat something, and had forgotten to lock Giru in the bedroom. Naturally, the robot followed Goku and ended up in Trunks' custody, like always, it seemed.

Giru was not easing up. Suddenly, a great quake, strong enough to knock down several lamps in his room, caused Trunks to stand in worry. _What was that? Did Pan do that?_ His thoughts were interrupted by the robot screaming "Danger approaching! Danger approaching!" and ducking behind the couch.

The door slammed open, cracking the wall with its impact. Dust flew everywhere from the incredible force. Trunks felt his heart race in panic, and backed up against the wall. In the doorway, the most terrible, most frightening woman in all the universe, stood before him in a rage.

_What the hell is Chi Chi doing here! _Trunks felt like he was going to melt in fear. His heart was going too fast, and he was unable to breathe. His eyes were wide in terror, his fingers gripping the wall as if his life were dependent on it.

"I want to know if YOU know what WE have to do AFTER we are MARRIED!" She stood there, steam practically rising from her figure, her hands on her hips, her scowl freezing any warmth there was left in Trunks' blood.

"P... Pan!"

"Well!" Her glare made his voice catch in his throat.

"Pan, is that you in there? What have you done with Pan!"

"I came to let you know that you shouldn't expect to wear that...that..." at this, her voice faltered, as her eyes wandered down to what Trunks was wearing. "That...?" Trunks watched as her eyes grew large, and she opened her mouth, at a loss for words. Suddenly, she seemed to be choking, and he would have gotten up to check on her if it weren't for the fact that his legs had become jelly and he felt light-headed.

"You... you..." Her choking became more apparent, and he realized suddenly, it actually was laughter she was trying to hold in, but was incredibly unsuccessful about it. "What... What are you _wearing_!" At this, she burst out laughing, unable to hide it anymore.

His eyes narrowed. "I should be asking the same of _you_, Pan." His heart was still racing from before, but he was beginning to get feeling back in his legs. He observed her outfit, and noted that it actually would have been quite pretty if it weren't for the flaring neon pink fabric it was made from. "Honestly, Pan, I knew you had a thing about dresses, but you didn't have to wear one that disgraces the entire concept of a 'beautiful' wedding."

"Grrr," Pan scowled toward him, clenching her fists tightly, appearing to be entering her 'rage' mode again for a split second. However, before Trunks felt the need to slap her silly before another rampage broke out, she suddenly became calm. Too calm. Trunks eyed her warily, wondering what could possibly be on her mind.

"Well, Trunks, I don't think you'll have to worry too long about me wearing this super ugly rag. And you'll most likely be delighted to hear the good news about your own ... dress..." She snickered to herself, as her eyes wandered his outfit again. He fought off a blush, and glared at her instead. "You and I have to strip after the wedding."

"WHAT?"

"Yes, according to Hik... Hika .. ah.. that Hiccup guy, whatever his name was, apparently we aren't allowed to wear any clothes in the Temple. Not even a towel. Just thought you'd like to know."

"What.. do.. you.. mean," he narrowed his eyes.

"Danger! Danger! Trunks and Pan both are Danger! Giru! Giru!" The robot flew out from behind the couch, and zipped through the open doorway before either could look in time.

When both their eyes landed on the doorway, however, Goku suddenly entered, holding and observing a flailing robot. "Wow! He was about to leave, and smacked right into me! Trunks, you'd never guess what..." When Goku looked up and saw both Pan and Trunks before him, he stopped and released the robot which, in a panic, flew out of the room for the second time. "Oh wow! You guys look great!"

Pan calmly waved Goku's comment away, and said flatly, "We were just commenting on how we have to be naked when we enter the Temple."

"Okay. You know, there are a lot of people outside. Apparently word spread fast that two aliens were getting married in their chapel, and practically the whole city is gathered here!"

"Grandpa! I don't think you heard me right. I said we have to be _naked!_"

"What's so bad about that, Pan? I'm naked all the time. You've seen me naked before." He tilted his head toward his granddaughter.

"Unlike _you_, Grandpa, I actually have a bit of _modesty_."

Goku knotted his brow a bit. "Listen, Pan. And this goes for you too, Trunks." He thought a bit before he continued, "Think of this like... like a meal."

"A meal?" Trunks raised his eyebrow. Pan crossed her arms in expectation.

"Yes. At first you are so hungry, the first few bites are the best. You eat them as fast as you can, but you enjoy every last crumb. After a while, your stomach begins to get a bit full, and you take things more slowly..."

_Leave it to Goku, to compare marriage to food, _Trunks thought bitterly.

"...and then after a while, it begins to get painful to eat anything else. But you know, in the long run, you have something to look forward to: dessert! After you conquer your problems, you are met with the most delicious part of all. And when you walk away, you feel fulfilled."

"Grandpa, thanks for being so philosophical with us, but that still doesn't solve how we're going to be naked."

"Well.. I guess that could also be compared to food. You see, imagine an orange –"

"Grandpa! You know what, just forget it. I just don't care anymore. Trunks, I hate you. I want you to know how much I hate you before I do this. There. I got it out." Pan walked out of the room as if she had just commented on the weather.

Trunks stared after her, open-mouthed, not even able to blink as her words were processed in his head. He jerked out of his state when he felt Goku patting his back. He looked down to see Goku grinning widely at him.

"What is so funny, Goku?" Trunks wanted to scowl at him, but didn't have the heart.

"You know what, Trunks? I think you will fall in love with her one day." Trunks didn't even care to boggle at the twelve year old.

Trunks shook his head dejectedly, "Goku, what have I said about you saying these things?"

"I know, I know. But I don't want you to disregard your emotions just because of your pride. Pan needs to know she is appreciated, even though she puts on an act that she can fend for herself all the time."

"I know, Goku. And, I'll remember that."

"Trunks, I want you to promise something for me."

Trunks frowned at Goku. "What is it?"

The little boy sighed and shifted on his feet a bit, looking down. "I want to be with Pan, and Gohan and Goten and Chi Chi for a long time after we return from space. But, I know how things work out, and somehow I always manage to go away for long periods of time. If I do go away again for any reason, which I hope not to do, but I will if I must, Pan will most likely be affected by it." Goku looked up at Trunks. "Promise me, if I go away, that you'll take care of her. Make sure she's okay. Stop by every once in a while to visit, you know."

Trunks gave a sad smile to Goku. "Of course I promise that. You know," Trunks' eyes became happier and he nudged Goku in the side, "I'll be her husband, after all." He found himself chuckling a bit while the boy smiled. "Or her wife, depending if she grows up to be anything like Chi Chi." At that, both of them laughed openly, until Goku snapped out of it, realizing what Trunks was implying about him, and smacked Trunks on the leg. "Ow!"

A cough by the door caught both of their attentions. A short pink woman dressed in white bowed slightly to them. She smiled brightly and gestured toward Trunks, saying, "Itbe time."

"Oh man..." Trunks all of a sudden felt really nervous. "Oh no, Goku, I don't know if I can do this..."

Goku patted his back encouragingly. "It'll go fine. Even if you stumble on a line, in the end, you'll be married anyway."

_That's why I'm nervous. There's really no way out of this, now..._ Trunks felt himself walking in a daze toward the woman. _Just... grab the dragonball and run..._ He sighed.

"This of it this way, Trunks. You have something really good to look forward to! After the wedding, there'll loads and loads of food!"

Trunks smiled to himself as he felt himself leave the room. _Goku will never change._

––––––––

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–_9/20/04_–


	7. Exchanging Rings

CHAPTER 7:  
Exchanging Rings

Two large doors were the only things separating Pan from the great hall of the gigantic dome chapel. She stared at the barred exit distantly as her hands fiddled with the item in her hands. Minutes before, the little man who called himself Hikaru had given her a rather large ring to hold for the ceremony. _He's got to be kidding me. I know Trunks has big hands, but this thing, if a little larger, could be big enough to fit around my wrist._ She looked down to observe the object again. _I wonder what this could be made of? This doesn't look like any metal I've seen before_. Although it had the appearance of yellow gold, at a second glance, she realized it was translucent, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Also, it was warm to the touch. She would never have noticed it if it weren't for the room being so cold. All this anxiety had drained circulation in her arms, and the ring was acting as a somewhat hand-warmer.

Behind the big doors, the great hall was extremely noisy. She knew quite a crowd must have gathered, considering practically the "whole city" was here today, according her grandpa. _So much for a quiet and secret wedding_. With a few thousand witnesses, her "bonding" to Trunks would definitely go down in history books here, and it would most likely be listed under the "comedy" section. She had no idea what to expect from this ceremony and felt like everything would go wrong.

She heard hushing sounds from the great hall and knew it must be time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The doors before her began to open, and at that point, she was able to see the aisle she would be expected to walk down. But something threw her off._ Where is the music?_ Pan's eyes widened as she felt her heart leap to her throat. _Aren't I supposed to be walking in with music playing? What am I supposed to do now!_ Pan felt an inner scowl while forcing an outer smile. _That's just great. The ceremony hasn't even started and I'm already making a fool of myself._ She looked out among the crowd. They all had their eyes on her. Pan had a funny feeling that they were expecting her to walk, and was about to take her first step, but halted when she heard some of the crowd begin to sing. Suddenly, they all joined in, singing some song in their native language, severely off-key and lacking in rhythm. It all sounded like dissonant musical mush. Thousands of high-pitched voices sounded like a children's choir gone wrong.

She felt someone nudge her back, but didn't look. She began walking forward, holding the ring as if it were a bouquet. At this point, she noted how large the audience really was, but before she was able to get butterflies in her stomach, she approached the first row, and saw her grandpa not only hopping on his aisle seat, but waving to her happily as if she were ten miles away, rather than the ten feet and closing. She frowned slightly at him, furrowing her brow in disappointment. _Grandpa, that is so rude!_ She made a mental note to apply super-glue to his seat when her real wedding would happen one day.

She refocused her eyes ahead, looking to the altar, or, rather, small stage, where she'd stop and face Trunks. She blinked and darted her gaze around the room quickly. _Where is Trunks!_ She suddenly had a horrible vision in her mind, of herself standing at the altar waiting for a particular demi-saiyan who would have walked out on her. Her heart leapt to her throat, and she felt like she swallowed a golf ball. _Where is he? _She stopped at the altar, and tried to act calm. She turned around and faced the crowd.

Suddenly, the voices stopped. No one breathed for several moments. Pan saw Goku look around in amazement, trying to find what the people silenced over. The double doors from which Pan had just walked, were closed. They must have shut the doors while she was walking down that aisle. _I never imagined myself ever walking down an aisle for my wedding. If I could have had a say in this, I'd have gotten married on Dende's Lookout._ She couldn't imagine anything more honorable than having her wedding hosted by the Guardian of Earth.

Two small Kikaruan men stood before the doors, nodded to each other, and began to open the doors again. The doors creaked open a little too slowly for Pan's patience. This time, six men were waiting to walk down the aisle, carrying a gigantic pink palanquin with a very sorry Trunks frowning on top.

Pan tried her best to keep a straight face. Her body shook for a second with the first chuckle she held in, and she was able to control it afterward only by re-focusing her attention on Trunks' outfit. His dress flowed down the palanquin, draping the six men's shoulders. She now understood why the men had such a long gown, since they would be lifted up for their entrance to the ceremony. It really was a nice effect, and would have been quite glamorous if it weren't for Trunks' expression on top. Pan found herself looking at him again, and darted her gaze away toward Goku before a smile could creep to her face. _Oh man, will I be teasing Trunks about this later!_

It was at that time, she realized her grandpa was taking pictures. She knew she'd have to destroy them later, before they'd get home, but she snickered to herself, thinking of the fun she'd have with them beforehand. She'd have to frame the pictures of Trunks. This moment was absolutely priceless.

It seemed to be taking an eternity for the procession, or it felt like one. Pan was so eager to get this done and over with, everything seemed to go in slow motion. The procession approached, lowered Trunks, helped him off, marched back to the doors, closed and opened them again for the little Hikaru man and his wife who walked down the aisle as well, and escorted them to the small stage. It just seemed to long and drawn out, Pan found herself daydreaming of the man standing beside her, thinking of what their lives actually would turn out like if they did keep their marriage intact, however much their pride made them want to deny it. _I wonder what our kids would look like? I bet they'd look more like him, since he and Bra look so much like their mother, and the bright hair seems to be a dominant trait... _She could distantly feel a hand grasp hers and blinked, snapping her thoughts from the clouds. She realized Trunks was sadly smiling to encourage her, squeezing her right hand. She tried her best to fight off a blush as she looked ahead and observed that she wasn't facing the aisle anymore. At some point, she must have turned around to face Hikaru, who had his eyes closed and his hands raised. His wife, a fairly pretty Kikaruan with pale violet hair, stood behind him, holding some scriptures, also with her eyes closed.

The hall was silent. Pan figured they must all be in prayer of some sort, and was beginning to feel really nervous. She found comfort in another squeeze from Trunks. _Kami, he's still holding my hand_. She didn't want to be rude and jerk it away. That would only hurt Trunks' feelings, and they were both in this boat together. But no guy had ever held her hand like this before. Although he probably thought nothing of it, being so much older and having experienced so much more in his life, this was a big deal to her. _It's one thing to squeeze my hand for comfort, but he's holding it as if he has no intention of letting go..._ Look at her. She sighed inwardly. At her marriage, she was making a bigger deal of her husband holding her hand than the ceremony. _Baka! He's not your husband. It's just a staged act..._

Hikaru lowered his hands and began to speak. His voiced boomed and echoed around the dome. "For all those gathered here today, we will be witnessing the bonding two souls who have journeyed from a distant planet to mate under our religion and law."

The dome erupted in clicks and finger snapping. _I guess that's their way of clapping_. One person made a hoot call. Pan knew exactly who that was, too. She grimaced. _What is this? Some comedy show! Why are they all interacting with the ceremony?_

Hikaru raised his hands, and the hall silenced again. "Let us begin." His wife stepped up beside him. "I, the Saint Hikaru ,with my mate Lelanu have pledged ourselves to joining these two as Raiyan's children." Lelanu handed him a scripture, which he took in his hands and held up to read. "Introduce yourselves to the court, young male suitor."

Trunks blinked a moment. "You mean me?" Hikaru nodded toward Trunks. "Do you mean, to the crowd?" Hikaru nodded again and gestured toward the people.

Letting go of Pan's hand, Trunks turned, blushing slightly. "Uh, I'm Trunks Briefs. I'm from Earth." Trunks glanced over to Hikaru, who was urging him to continue. "I uh... run a company for a living, and I'm here because I'm looking for dragonballs."

Hikaru hissed behind him, "Tell them why you want to marry her!"

Trunks gasped and looked in panic toward Hikaru. "You never said I had to present a speech," he whispered angrily.

Pan rolled her eyes and whispered toward him, "Just say something, Trunks. Make it up if you have to. I don't have all day!"

Trunks swallowed and quickly tried to think of something nice to say. "I um... I've known Pan all her life, since she was a baby. I loved her family and friends, and I could not help but love her as well. She will always be someone special to me and," Trunks swallowed again, "I would be honored to take her as my w-...mate."

Hikaru turned to Pan. "Introduce yourselves to the court, young female."

Pan sighed outwardly and turned to face Trunks. "I'm Pan Son, and I'm also from Earth." _I can't believe I'm doing this._ "I've known Trunks all my life, and I think he's arrogant, stubborn, and takes everything too seriously. But he is a good friend, and he's fair and he always makes his family, including his best friends, feel loved always..." _What would Vegeta say if he were sitting in the audience, listening to this? _"He's a good fighter and he's loyal, and I know he'll be able to defend his family one day. I feel he would be a good _mate _for me because I can imagine having a family with him." She had said all of this while looking straight at him. He was blushing with a confused smile and frowning eyebrows, as if he weren't sure if he should be happy or sad at the moment.

Hikaru nodded and commanded of them, "Now turn and face me." When they did, he continued, "Kneel." At first, Trunks seemed a little hesitant, but he got down on his right knee beside Pan and reached for her hand again. "At this time, I will read the Holy Scriptures of Raiyan," and Hikaru began the service.

––––––––

It seemed like it had been several hours since Hikaru began to chanting the scriptures. Trunks was still feeling faint and dizzy. He'd been feeling this way ever since he left his dressing room, as if he were standing back and watching himself do everything from a distance. The only thing really grounding him was Pan's hand, which he held for support. It was the only thing that seemed real at this moment. Everything else was like a bad dream that was passing before him. He was happy, though, that this much time had passed. The ceremony could not possibly go on too much longer. He wasn't even listening to the drone of Hikaru's voice. He was trying to imagine himself home, sitting on his couch next to Goten, discussing his best friend's new girlfriend of the week while lying through his teeth about himself still being single and looking.

He tried to also picture an alien couple landing on Earth who were husband and wife. Even though they were married on another planet, wouldn't that still make them husband and wife no matter where they went? Sure there were no legal documents on Earth proving it, but if anyone ventured over to Hikaru, they'd find Trunks and Pan on the front page of every newspaper. It would be like trying to deny having a child. Just because his baby wouldn't be right in front of him, he'd have no right to just lie through his teeth about it. And they mated for life, here. It's not like they could split up after getting the dragonball. He would be living a lie for the rest of his life if he were to marry any other woman. _But it's worth it if we can save the Earth. I would sacrifice my life for my planet any day, whether I would be alive or in another dimension. _

He fingered the ring they had given him before the ceremony. He wondered what kind of metal the ring could be made from. The alloy was very interesting. He had never seen anything like it before. Perhaps he could apply it to an invention in Capsule Corp. when he returned. He smiled, thinking his mother would love to get her hands on it, but that would practically be begging for a flood of questions. He had hoped that the news about his wedding could be kept a secret for as long as possible.

Hikaru stopped chanting, and all was silent. He smiled at both Pan and Trunks and stepped to the side, making way for his wife, Lelanu. When she spoke, her voice rang like bells, "It is now the time for the ring presentation." She raised her hands, "Stand up, both Trunks and Pan of Earth." He felt himself let go of Pan's hand and stand before the small woman. Her smile was warming, and eased his anxiety slightly.

The woman Lelanu stood confidently and swept her hands gracefully before the crowd. "The rings of Hikaru symbolize the loyalty that two whombe bonded may share." Lelanu's long hair began to move as if there were a hidden breeze. Trunks snapped alert and noted that this woman, Lelanu, was raising her ki at a dramatic rate. _What's going on? How does she have such an enormous ki all of a sudden!_ Trunks glanced over to Pan, who was frowning in contemplation as well. He felt Goku begin to raise his ki as well, most likely as a precaution.

Lelanu brought her hands down, but her ki continued to increase. "With these rings, you will bond for life. You may never bond to another as long as your mate lives, and you will not be able to take the life of your mate.Be there any doubt in your hearts that you will not be able to fulfill your vows? If so, speak now." Her hair began to lift itself as if a wind were below her, and her white robe moved as if she were flying. Both Pan and Trunks kept their silence, but Trunks was feeling a mental battle inside himself. Lelanu turned to look at him, her face now expressionless.

"Trunks Briefs, have you chosen the finger on which you shall don your ring?" He nodded to her solemnly, wondering how the ring would stay on his finger. Lelanu smiled to him softly. "Then let me hold the ring you possess in your hands."

He handed her his ring and watched as she turned to Pan. "Pan Son,be you ready to chant the incantation?" Pan nodded in response to her. "Alright, Pan Son, I will say it slowly so you may follow. Itbe in our native tongue. The words mean 'with this ring I bond my life to you freely'." Pan nodded and began to recite the words, stuttering slightly, "Ngaryu mamoget nkankund'ge mangadalgo."

The ring that Pan held began to glow. Trunks could not believe what he was seeing. The gold ring was actually glowing! _I'm going to have fun playing with it later!_ Trunks smiled to himself, discovering he actually would gain something worthwhile from this trip.

Lelanu began to levitate next to Pan. She put her hand on Pan's head and closed her eyes. "Just relax, Pan Son, this will only channel my energy into the ring you hold." The woman opened her eyes and looked at Trunks, "Now, Trunks Briefs, hold out your hand on which you wish your ring to be."

He held out his left hand toward Pan, feeling a little confused. Why did the ring need so much power? What was the woman doing? He looked into Pan's eyes with a concerned look. Lelanu's words broke through his thoughts, "Tell her which finger you wish your ring to be on."

"My, uh...ring finger." He was impressed with how people could customize their weddings here. They could actually choose the finger on which they wished to wear their ring. He guessed it was because the metal was dead giveaway as to what kind of ring it was, versus having so many rings look alike on Earth and needing to actually reserve a location for a wedding band.

"Now, Pan Son, place the ring on his finger." He watched Pan slip the oversized ring onto his finger, but before she could let go, something extraordinary happened. It glowed white brightly and then began to shrink before their eyes. It molded itself to his finger, dimming to a dark yellow light. And then the light was gone, and it was done. Wrapped around his finger, a translucent gold ring symbolized Trunk's bond to Pan. When he looked up to the young girl, she was panting as if she had just gone through a sparring session with her father.

Lelanu levitated toward Trunks and took his hand, examining the ring. "May Lord Raiyan bless you and all your days to come." She smiled at him and turned to Pan. "Now Pan Son, have you chosen the finger on which you shall don your ring?" Her voice rang like a Christmas carol in the hall. The audience was awed into silence.

"Yes, I have. The same one."

Lelanu smiled and handed Trunks the ring that Pan had lent her. "And Trunks, are you ready to recite the incantation?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. I mean, uh, yes." Trunks heard the words he had to repeat and felt like he was going to make a fool of himself, getting the words wrong. "Uh... Nuhgoku, um... momget mankind mangadollgo?"

The audience erupted in laughter, and Trunks blushed furiously. _"Trunks!"_ Pan hissed at him, "Are you _trying_ to ruin this for me?"

Trunks blinked and looked to her, suddenly feeling a defensive anger rise. He narrowed his eyes and hissed back, "_Ruin_ it for _you!_ What about_ me?_"

Lelanu held up her hands and silenced the hall. She smiled at Trunks and shook her head in humor. "Try it again, this time, say one word at a time with me. Ngaryu..."

Trunks just hoped this was the last stage of the wedding. He wasn't sure if he had the patience to go on with this any longer. Thiswas humiliating. He was in a dress, he was faking a marriage to Pan, and he was forced to recite stupid words.

ButTrunks sucked in his pride and calmly stated,"Ngaryu..."

"Mamoget..."

His eyebrow twitched at the thought that he and Pan had to bear their naked selves to each other after this. "Mamoget..."

"Nka-nkun-'ge..."

He wondered how he'd be able to even touch her. And they couldn't bring anything in other than their own bodies. It wasn't as if he could easily blindfold himself. He wouldn't even be allowed a blindfold. "Nkankun'ge.."

"Mangadalgo!"

"Manga...dalgo." At the end of his word, the ring in his hand began emitting even more heat. It grew so warm that it began to emanate light. He felt Lelanu hovering above him before she placed a hand on top of his head. He suddenly felt a great strength wash over him, and could feel it channel through his hands into the ring which grew even brighter.

Pan held out her left hand and Trunks felt a knot in his stomach. _I'm placing a ring on her finger. _It really snapped in his mind that he was, in fact, getting married. Before, it seemed unreal. It was a concept, a nightmare, something unfathomable, unbelievable. Even as he was standing on the stage, it just felt like an old high school musical production that he would be starring in. But this, placing this glowing wedding ring on her finger while he wore its matching mate... it hit him hard that he would be swearing away all other love he could have in his life, for this one girl. Gohan's little girl. Goku's granddaughter. His best friend's niece.

In that moment, his life flashed before his eyes. His last second being single. Even if he denied it all of his life, he'd always be married to Pan. _I came this far... I'll go all the way. This is for all the people of Earth... and Pan's dignity._ As he placed the ring on her finger, it glowed brightly, as his had, and began to shrink to the size of her finger. Suddenly, he felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. All his energy was being sucked away by something... by the ring, as it molded itself to her small hand. It was as if his soul itself became a part of her ring.

He found he was on his knees, panting hard. He looked up to see Lelanu standing over Pan and say, "May Lord Raiyan bless you and all of your days to come." Then, Lelanu landed on the ground and stepped up to her mate Hikaru, who had been observing from the side.

He nodded to her and stepped before them. Trunks stood to acknowledge him. Hikaru looked at Pan and Trunks and smiled. He whispered something low so only Trunks and Pan could hear. "At this time, you two may kiss to seal your destinies."

Trunks froze in horror and looked in slight panic to Pan. "Uh..." His heart felt like it would burst through this ribcage. He suddenly found it hard to breathe, and could feel himself losing his balance. "I have to kiss her...? Do I have to?" He asked faintly, feeling the world spin and the eyes of the audience glued on his every move.

"No, you do not have to. But some choose to." Trunks felt a wave of release. Finally, an option that he could choose. "Alright, we choose not to, then." He felt himself regain his balance and smiled to himself, closing his eyes.

Hikaru looked at Trunks a moment, and then began to address the audience. "As of today, Trunks Briefs of Earth and Pan Son of Earth have hereby bonded under Raiyan's religion and law. May their lives be long, and may they always provide support and happiness for their mate." He looked at Pan, "And may you bear many healthy children."

Pan turned red, a small scowl forming on her face. Trunks would normally have smirked at this comment, but he felt sick at the thought. _According to this moon, her "many healthy children" would be mine..._ He tried to rid himself of the mental image.

The crowd began to sing again, but this time they were talking in addition to it, so the music sounded muffled. As people began to leave the hall, Pan looked at Hikaru and asked "When do we go into the Temple?" Hikaru smiled at her as Lelanu collected the scriptures from his hands.

"This evening, after the dinner. We will let you know when it is time."

Pan nodded. "Thank you for a lovely ceremony. It was very nice." She faked a large smile, and took Trunks' hand, dragging him away from the stage.

"Pan?" Trunks followed in confusion.

"We need to talk."

"Pan, we have all evening to talk. Shouldn't we wait for Goku?" Something told him that Pan wasn't very happy about something. She kept marching forward without looking at him.

"Pan..." She burst through the double doors and led him out to the hallway. He had no idea where she was leading him, but he had a feeling he'd like Goku around for whatever she intended to do.

She found her dressing room door and swung it open, with Trunks still in tow. She turned on the light and let him go as she slammed the door shut.

"Pan?"

She looked like she was going to slap him and he had an inkling he knew what it was about. "Pan, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to mess up the recitation. I didn't mean it, really!"

She pushed him against the wall. "Pan, what is wrong? What are you doing?" He looked at her face and felt the world spin again in fear. "Pan!"

Before he could do anything, she grabbed his head and jammed his mouth down to her lips, throwing her arms around him. His eyes opened wide, and his hands flailed wildly as he let out a muffled yelp, "Mmhnmbm!"

She continued to kiss him as he gathered his strength and tried to pry her off of him, "Mmhbm! MmHBMM!" But she was too strong. He flared his ki hoping to knock her off of him, but she was steadfast. He didn't want to do it, but he was about to seriously injure her... But, before he could form a ki blast, she broke away from him and stood back while he panted in a rage.

Pan crossed her arms and looked at him angrily. "How DARE you not kiss me at our wedding! I will NEVER be able to get over that. _NEVER_!"

Trunks fumed at her, feeling a low growl coming from his throat, "What was _that_ all about, then? Making up for LOST TIME?"

Pan picked up a lamp and ripped the cord right out from the wall. She threw it at him with all her might. He dodged it just in time and looked to see it shatter where he had just been standing. "Are you NUTS, Pan!" Something flew by his head, and noticed she had just thrown a large glass ashtray that had been next to the lamp.

Right then, Goku walked in and stopped short at the doorway, looking at the broken lamp and shattered ashtray behind Trunks, who was dodging attacks from a very angry Pan.

"Oh wow!" He said delightedly, "You two fell in love _already_!"

––––––––

––––––––

–9/23/04–


	8. Spiked Coffee

CHAPTER 8:  
Spiked Coffee

The reception afterward was beautiful. Long white ribbons cascaded from the ceilings of the room, laced with flowers of pink and gold. Although they had been relocated underground, there were windows opened to wide green gardens that were lit by special lighting. The room they were in was spacious and warm. A few hundred people showed up to offer their congratulations to the "happily" married couple. Trunks shook his head. If they only knew.

Trunks sat at the head of a long table that spanned the entire side of the room. After he was able to get away from the crowds, he had taken the moment to sit down and think... Or at least, try to think. It was incredibly loud, and all he wanted to do was slip away to the Temple and grab the dragonball as soon as possible. All these formalities were starting to make him grow impatient.

The food had been far better than Pan's cooking, and Trunks was quite sure Goku was content. Although he didn't get his "restaurant," he definitely got something better: _A dinner and a show_, Trunks thought bitterly, a small frown forming. He looked at the plate in front of him. He had barely touched his food, no matter how good it tasted. He just wasn't feeling himself tonight. He reached over with his right hand and picked up a fruit that looked somewhat like a small apple. As his left hand was brushing it clean, he stopped to get another look at his new ring. He tried to prevent any thoughts from forming, forcing them back as he bit into the fruit. He'd deal with Pan later. Right now, he had to be patient and wait for the reception to end so they could retrieve the dragonball.

A few of his bangs tickled his forehead, and he brushed them back with his fingers. His hair was beginning to get a little too long for his liking. Even one inch longer than what he was used to began to annoy him. Everything was annoying him right now. He looked over to Pan and Goku at the other side of the room, laughing among themselves as it they had something to be happy about. Even their laughter annoyed him.

He sighed and tried to think of happy memories that could cheer him up. Most of them involved Goten and himself pulling pranks on people, especially Gohan when he was still dating Videl. When they were younger, he and Goten never took anything seriously. As the President of one of the largest companies in the world, he didn't really have time to see Goten much anymore. Nowadays, it seemed like they were drifting apart. Goten was always dating and dumping girls during the normal time he and Trunks would have spent together, and Trunks was forced to work in a job he detested, but have to face his mother's wrath later if he tried to escape his duties. While Trunks was forced to grow up, Goten still remained a kid; but Trunks still considered Goten his best friend. Nothing could change the happy and somewhat humorous memories that they shared.

It would have been really nice if Goten had come along on the Tour. Although things could never be just like old times, they both would have had a great time. Trunks and Goten could have gotten close again, while Goten could have gotten to know his father better. Although Goten never mentioned it to him, Trunks knew that Goten felt a little left out, deep down. He never really had any quality time with his father. Then again, he never did anything to push his martial arts skills. He could have visited Goku while he was away training with Uub, and Goku would most definitely have taken every opportunity to train his son. But, after they defeated Buu, Goten never took training seriously again. Trunks was forced to, because of his father, but Goten's laziness definitely affected him, and even he stopped training as hard after a while. Whenever he and Goten would spar, it would be for entertainment value.

Trunks didn't realize he had lost some of his strength until relatively recently. While they were dealing with the whole Dolltucky madness, trying to get their dragonball back, there had been a point when a large amount of bricks were going to crush him, and he had to go super-saiyan to get them off of him. When he was eight, he could have demolished those blocks with a few punches. Now, it was hard for him to go super. It actually drained most of his power. No wonder his father had stopped forcing him to train. He actually _was_ becoming a weakling and waste of his time. He was definitely stronger than most people in the world, but even still, it hurt his pride to be at the bottom of the super-saiyan totem pole... along with Goten. Recently, his father had been training Pan more seriously, because she had an interest to come over every weekend to spar and get stronger.

Trunks' smile had long since faded. He looked at the remains of the fruit in his hand, and then glanced over to Pan again. He was proud of her, but he would never admit it. She really was doing everything she could to become stronger while Trunks would be lounging on the couch watching television with his sister. She really did have the spirit to go super-saiyan, and it was a shame that she had not transformed yet. Trunks believed in her, though. He felt that she could one day. She just needed the right boost.

Trunks put the fruit core down onto his plate and stood up. Several girls were by him, talking with smiles and waving their hands in conversation. One looked over to him and meandered her way through the others to approach him. She was relatively small for her race, standing only about three feet tall. He felt like a tower next to her, being over six feet tall. When she spoke, her voice came out like high ringing bells. It reminded him of Lelanu's voice as she had performed the ring bonding ceremony.

"Pardon me, but whatwill you name your first child?" She looked at him with big green eyes that begged for an answer.

"Uh," Trunks scratched his head and looked to his feet. What an odd first question to just blurt out to someone. He felt a little awkward in answering that. He really didn't want to think about kids yet. They were not something on the top of his priority list at this point in his life. "I don't know, I'm sorry. That will have to wait." A small blush began to form by his nose. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to see a familiar face. "Uh, hi Pan..."

"Wouldn't your father want you to name your son _Vegeta_?" Pan grinned widely at him, making his blush more apparent. He didn't say anything in response; rather, he looked at her and began to subconsciously play with his hair.

"Honestly, Trunks, you look like a nervous wreck. You really need to calm down." Trunks looked down to see that she was holding two glasses and was holding one out to him.

"What's this?"

"I don't know. It tasted pretty nasty at first and it stung, but after a few sips it began to taste pretty good. They say it is a tradition for everyone to drink it, and since you are one of the stars of this party, I figured you might at least like to try it."

Trunks took the glass and eyed its contents curiously. The liquid was light blue and had small green swirls inside it. He brought it to his lips and hesitated a moment before taking a small sip. His eyes went wide and he choked loudly, almost spilling the drink to the floor. "Pan! What is this? How much of this have you had!"

"I don't know. I think about two glasses so far. This is my third."

"Pan, you need to stop drinking that. That drink is far too strong for you." He set his drink down and reached out for hers, but she yanked it back.

"No! It's my drink. I have a high metabolism, and it hasn't affected me at all."

Trunks could feel all the annoyance he felt earlier begin to edge its way into his system again. "Pan... give that to me, right... now..." He could imagine his mother's impatient and angry face painted on his right now as he glared at the fourteen year old who was drinking to her heart's content. "NOW, Pan."

"See, this is what I'm talking about. You need to lighten up." With that, she downed the rest of her drink while Trunks stared unmoving. She slammed her empty glass next to his and began to walk away.

"Pan, you come back here _right now_."

"Stop treating me like a little kid." She turned around to face him, a scowl on her face.

He raised his hands in defense, but kept his stern look. "I'm not treating you like a kid, Pan. I just think –"

"Good" she interrupted him, smirking softly. She looked over to one of the serving girls and said, "I'd like a coffee, or anything that resembles it, black. With some of that blue liquid in it for flavor."

Trunks slammed his right hand to his forehead. _She has no idea what she's doing. She's never been drunk before. She really has no clue._ His impatience was growing even thinner. He felt at any moment, he could snap. _What would Goku do in this situation?_ He blinked to himself and looked across the room, to the corner where Goku was laughing happily with Hikaru and Lelanu. _Okay, cross that out. What would my father do?_

Suddenly he pictured the entire planet in shambles.

That didn't seem like such a bad idea right about now.

----------

Pan was very, very, very happy.

She didn't feel this way at first. After her second cup of black and blue coffee, she began to feel a bit tingly. It was so slight that she barely noticed it when talking to people. Her mind was on other subjects at hand. After it spread to a general numbing of her body, however, she began to feel her tongue slow down and betray her flow of speech, switching around consonants and mispronouncing random words.

At some point, she lost all feeling entirely and forgot what she was talking about. She began to lose awareness of where she was, and found her feet attempting to give way below her. When the full blow hit her, she was somewhere in the middle of the room, talking to who knows, rambling about nothing of interest, and feeling quite happy.

She noted that the entire world moved in slow motion around her. She felt like a video tape, with the option of rewinding and fast-forwarding all motion. The room was so warm, it was almost smothering her. Everyone was brushing past her, pushing her slightly, but just enough to the point where she felt she was losing her center of gravity. She found herself grabbing onto people for support.

Time must have been passing all around her, but she could not feel its effects on her. She had no idea how long it had been since the party started. The world was tipping like a see-saw and she was having a fun ride. Everything passed faster when she was enjoying herself.

She felt a pair of strong hands grab her, but didn't care to look and see who it was. At least now, she was able to stand straight and watch the tables rock back and forth. She squinted her eyes, trying to see someone in front of her, but couldn't make the person out. She didn't care, anyway. Oh yeah, it was her Grandpa. He was saying something to her, with a smile maybe on his face, but Pan wasn't really looking. She tried to listen, but she just couldn't focus on his words. She instead was picturing herself losing all her senses, floating in a void while watching people from a little movie theater in her mind.

_Wow, I feel so good right now._ Every part of her was relaxed. She felt like she needed to reach out and grab the person behind her just because it felt good to move her arms. She wanted to move her legs too. Dancing would be really nice. There wasn't any music, but she could hear all kinds of songs in her head. She turned around and hugged the person behind her just because it felt good to have contact like that. And it also felt good to move her hands up and down the person's back. She enjoyed doing that. She really liked the contact.

Everything seemed so simple. No emotions clouding judgement. She felt a hand in her hair, and dug her face deeper into the person's chest. It was a male. He was taller than her. She couldn't picture anyone in her mind that could be a male and taller than her. She just couldn't focus her thoughts that way. _That hand feels really good... and his back feels really good on my hands_. She tried to rock back and forth with him, to attempt to dance, but he refused to budge.

She frowned slightly to herself. Suit himself. She continued to hug him because it felt so right. He continued to run his hand through her hair, which also felt so right. She could feel the world shifting around her, but he supported her and kept her from falling. She felt like she was floating. Suddenly, she felt as if she wanted to fly, to feel the wind around her right now. That would feel so nice. It was so hot in the room.

A mental picture of a lavender haired male popped into her mind. _That's right, it's Trunks. _She remembered that he would be there, and would most likely be holding her like that. He was saying something, but she didn't think it was to her. She could feel his chest vibrating with the sound, and it felt so good. _Everything_ felt so good.

She closed her eyes and tried to listen to the conversation. She could only pick out several words at a time, process them slowly, and found she missed out on several other words while she was interpreting the previous ones. She heard the sentences as if they were in another language. They were choppy to her, and although she understood every word, she couldn't get the meaning out of them. What were they trying to say? Why were they talking so fast?

"She is drunk, and I don't know..." She heard Trunks say this, and tried to picture it in her head. She, Pan, is drunk. _So this is what being drunk feels like_. And he doesn't know something. _I wonder what he doesn't know_. She listened more, "...Temple, but I don't want..." She pictured what the Temple might look like. And, what didn't Trunks want? "...tomorrow... we're running out of time...Goku..."

She put the pieces together, trying to fill in his meaning. It seemed as if he were trying to say she wouldn't be able to go to the Temple tonight for some reason.

"I'm fine," Pan said and pushed herself away from Trunks, wobbling on the see-saw again. Her words seemed muffled in her head. She wasn't sure if they heard her right, so she said more loudly, "I'm fine!"

She looked over to Goku, who was shaking his head. He smiled sheepishly, "Hey Trunks, she says she's okay. You know, maybe it's best..." She zoned out again. She couldn't focus on anything this time. The world went out of focus and the ground gave way under her feet. She felt strong hands grab her waist and steady her. At least, she thought she was steadied, but it was hard to tell with all the tipping going on around her. All of this just seemed so funny to her, for some reason. She burst out laughing, mostly at herself for her stupidity for drinking so much, and gave Trunks another bear hug. His chest had never seemed more inviting, and she felt like she could fall asleep on it for the rest of her life and be content.

_Is this what love is? If so, I want more of it!_ She squeezed him even tighter as she smiled against his chest. "I love you Trunks. I love you, I love you... I..." Everything seemed so perfect. She was so tired. She felt herself slipping out of consciousness.

Her last thought before blacking out entirely was that she really could have gone for another one of those coffees.

––––––––

Trunks had kept a careful watch on Pan ever since she stormed away from him and ordered a spiked coffee. After twenty minutes of seeing her obviously beginning to feel its affects, his annoyance became more of pity toward the girl. She really had no idea what she was getting herself into. He wasn't about to play parent with her. He figured that should be up to Goku if anything. With that in mind, he approached Goku and felt the need to present Pan's case.

"Hi Trunks, what's up?" Goku broke off his previous conversation and smiled over to demi-saiyan who looked as if he had seen better days.

"I was wondering if you've been monitoring Pan like I have...?"

Goku began to laugh and waved the issue away. "Yeah, she's really drinking a lot tonight isn't she?" He smiled at Trunks and winked. "Sometimes it takes learning the hard way to learn at all."

"I don't understand, Goku. We could have taught her the hard way any other night. Why tonight? We have a mission right after this!"

"And all the better if she doesn't remember it, right?" Goku still had that stupid grin plastered on his face. Trunks sighed.

"Are you telling me that you didn't tell her to watch the amount of alcohol she would consume tonight?"

"Of course I warned her. She is fourteen after all, but apparently she's the legal drinking age here and she wouldn't hear any of it." Goku put his arms behind his head and yawned out, "You know how stubborn she can be."

"Yeah..." Trunks looked over to Pan who was flailing her arms while screaming some unintelligible comment to some Kikaruans. She had completely lost perception of the volume of her voice. She could get really loud if she wanted to. She was becoming an embarrassment. Goku didn't seem to care, though. It frustrated Trunks to know that he was the only one minding the whole mess.

He became aware that Pan was slowly making her way toward him and Goku without looking at them. It was as if she were staring right through him, unable to concentrate her vision right. He noticed she was stumbling, forcing her way through people as if they were road blocks. Right before reaching him and Goku, she turned around and looked as if she were lost. He took a step and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her. Goku walked over to face her and looked her in the eye.

"Hey Pan, you okay?" Goku snapped his fingers in her face, but got no response. She was in a daze, staring at nothing. Goku grinned widely toward his granddaughter when she didn't respond. "Wow Pan, I think you really did drink too much." He looked over to Trunks. "It's so funny, Trunks. Look at her," Goku waved his hands before her eyes. "This is definitely a photographic moment."

Pan turned around and began to hug Trunks, digging her face into his chest. As he held her, he could feel her wobbling as if she couldn't balance herself, even when stabilizing herself against him. He felt a pang of concern for her and wanted to let her know that everything would be alright. He ran his fingers through her hair in an attempt to comfort her and get her to relax against him. He could feel it working, and she began to rub her hands against his back. He interpreted that as a sign that she was feeling better. He looked over to Goku, who was searching through the blue backpack for his camera.

"Don't do it, Goku, if even for the sake of her humility. If I were in her shoes, I'd never forgive you for taking pictures of me this far gone. Goten tried to do that to me, once, when we were in college. He was stupid and ended up taking the pictures on my camera." Goku raised one eyebrow toward Trunks, who went on, "I, of course, discovered them, and I got sweet revenge later. But I won't talk about that one. That one is an 'unmentionable'." Goku grinned, and Trunks thought for a moment. "You know, I don't think he got over it, even eight years later."

Goku chuckled. "With a photograph or not, Pan is going to remember this night forever, even if the only memory is the headache she's going to have when she wakes up tomorrow. I'm glad I got to see it. I don't think it will ever happen again, knowing her."

Trunks smiled. "Yes, as you say, she is definitely learning the hard way." Suddenly, Pan almost threw him off-balance as she began to try to rock back and forth against him. Feeling as if her health were in danger, he shook her a slight bit. She didn't seem to respond. "Pan, are you okay? What's wrong?" Worry clouded his eyes as he looked to the twelve year old in front of him. "You know, Goku, she is drunk. I don't know if it would be the best idea to enter the Temple while she's like this."

Goku bought a hand to his chin. "I don't know what the policy is about that. I was under the impression you had to go on your wedding night? But I could be wrong. Let me go ask Hikaru." Goku wandered off through the crowds as Trunks was still holding Pan against him. Or, rather, Pan was holding him against her and he was letting her because he wasn't sure if she would be okay standing on her own.

Trunks felt the need to talk to her and get a response. She hadn't said anything since she pressed herself against him. "Pan, I need you to tell me that you are okay." She once again kept her silence. "Pan, are you awake?" He sighed as he ran his fingers through the poor girl's hair. "Pan, you and I still have to go to the Temple, but I don't want to bring you if you can't talk to me. Tell me you are okay. I'm worried about you."

Goku arrived on the scene with Hikaru in tow. Hikaru bowed toward Trunks in his little white robe. The little man asked slowly, "Whatbe the problem here?Be the bride feeling under the weather?"

Trunks' eyebrows formed a frown and he blushed a little, "Well, kind of. You see...she drank a little too much and now she isn't conscious enough to respond to anything I'm saying. I want to ask if we can go to the Temple in the morning tomorrow, but at the same time I feel I want to get out of here because we're running out of time. I..." Trunks sighed in exasperation, feeling like he could pull his hair out, "I wanted to know if we could still enter tonight with her drunk, or would that offend your God... um... Raiyan or something?"

"Of course you can enter like that. Some prefer to enter that way, in fact. By wearing no clothes and –"

"Ahhh! You knowwhat,I get it. Okay..." Trunks' face turned pink with the mental image. He had gotten over his hormone craze when he had hit his mid twenties. Especially with Pan, there was no way he could permit himself to have such a vision. It would never happen. Never. Trunks felt his pride in his throat, slowly choking him. "Listen, Goku..."

"I'm fine." Pan pushed away from Trunks on wobbly feet. The force of her impact drove Trunks to stumble backward in surprise.

"Pan?"

"I'm fine!"

Trunks looked over to Goku with an expression on his face reading: 'What is she talking about?'

Goku shook his head smiling sheepishly toward him. "Hey Trunks, she says she's okay. You know, maybe it's best if you two went right now and got it over with. It looks like she's snapping out of it. You might want to get naked before she's aware of everything again. She might give you a hard time otherwise." At this, Goku began to laugh hysterically. Trunks' eyes narrowed at Goku's awful humor, but in a sick way, he had a point.

"You're right." He hated admitting it to himself, though. He sighed as Goku continued to laugh to himself.

Pan began to fall again, but Trunks instinctively caught her just in time, holding her up by her waist. She once again fell into his arms as if he were her hero. This time, however, Trunks was feeling a little awkward about holding her, as if nothing good could come from this. She began to laugh, echoing Goku and dug her face deeper into his chest.

In mid-laugh, Goku managed, "You know what Trunks? I think she's taken a liking to holding you!" He put his hands on his stomach as he doubled over from laughing.

Pan mumbled something into his chest. He could feel the vibration of her voice and pushed her back a little so he could hear. What came out froze him in terror. It even got Goku to stop laughing and stare in amazement. "...I love you! I love you... I...!"

Trunks was too dumbstruck to even catch her when she collapsed to the ground. There was no way she could have realized what she was saying. He looked in panic over to Goku, who had a classic grin on his face while his eyes screamed out an "I told you so."

Trunks found it hard to breathe for a moment. He felt like he would soon be following Pan as he staggered away from her, too dizzy to form any coherent thoughts. He blinked a few times, and looked at Goku's face. His shock was being replaced by seething anger. He _knew_ what Goku was thinking.

"One word out of your mouth, Goku, and I'll make you regret it!" His fists turned white and his eyebrows knotted in a scowl that would have made even his father's blood turn to ice.

Goku placed a finger over his lips as if to shush Trunks as well, the biggest, stupidest smile on his idiotic face before he turned around to walk away. Trunks wanted to punch him. He needed to blow something up. He needed to kill something. "Goku!" The boy turned around still looking quite humored. "You and me. Right now. Outside the city." He could feel his ki skyrocketing.

"Sure thing!" Goku flashed his famous Son grin before prancing out of the room.

––––––––

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–_9/30/05_–


	9. Needing a Senzu Bean

CHAPTER 9:  
Needing a Sensu Bean

Dusk was beginning to fall upon the moon. The sky dimmed to a soft dark violet and the few clouds on the horizon turned a pale shade of dark green. The city lay far in the distance, windows in buildings beginning to wink on with the approaching evening. A soft breeze blew across the plains that stretched for miles in all directions. The only thing that existed out here other than vast landscape was the Capsule Corp. spacecraft. The two saiyans approached it in silence and landed on the soft grass.

Trunks reached over and grabbed Goku's blue backpack. He opened it, searching for the remote. Finding it, he clicked the button that would open the ship. "You wait here," Trunks looked impassively at Goku, who was smiling in return. When the ladder came down, Trunks flew into the ship.

Goku stood there for a minute not sure what to do. He began to circle the ship hoping to pass the time but tripped over something hard, and in the next moment found himself sprawled on the ground. "What the?" He blinked in eyes in confusion.

"Giru! Giru!" The robot emerged from the grass in a panic.

"Oh Giru! I was wondering where you went. You came back to the ship!" Goku laughed at the round robot who was flying in circles. "Oh wow, Giru, you missed quite a show. You should have seen it. Trunks and Pan actually got married."

"Married, Giru!" The robot stopped and hovered above Goku.

"Yeah," Goku leaned over cupped his mouth to the robot's sensors and whispered, "Don't tell anyone this, but I get the impression that Trunks isn't very happy."

"Trunks not happy, Giru?"

Goku whispered even softer. "Yeah, we came out here to help him let off some steam. If I were you, I'd go find Pan. She needs someone to watch over her, and, besides, we're going to do some really heavy sparring out here..."

"Sparring! Danger!" For a moment the small robot paused as if thinking. Suddenly, it began to blare a small siren, screaming "Danger Approaching! Giru, Giru!" before ducking behind Goku. Goku turned around and saw that Trunks was emerging from the ship, dressed in a black tank top and gi pants.

"Hey, Trunks, I found Giru! He came all the way back to the ship. You must have really scared him back there –"

"Just shut up and fight me." He scowled toward the boy. "Right now. You stall, you die." Trunks made a snarl, eyebrows fiercely frowning in an angry glare.

"Wow, you really _are_ in a bad mood."

Before Goku could move, Trunks flashed out of sight. He reappeared right before Goku and punched him in the face, sending the saiyan flying two hundred yards. A great dust cloud tore up from the ground, flying dozens of meters in the air.

From amid the dust, Goku picked himself up, completely unscathed. Brushing himself off, he called out, "Trunks! Be careful. There's a lot less gravity here. You could end up sending debris into the city if you don't watch –"

Goku was interrupted by a fist ramming into stomach, doubling him over in shock. A quick roundhouse kick to the head sent Goku once again flying into the air, but the boy stopped his fall before he hit the ground. "Trunks! You're not playing fair. I haven't even stretched yet! I thought this was going to be a spar!"

"SHUT UP!" Trunks flashed out of sight and reappeared behind Goku, but the boy caught his arm and turned around to face him.

"Alright Trunks, I'll give you a real fight, but let's at least do this farther away from the ship. You aren't thinking straight, Trunks. What's wrong with you?"

Trunks brought his other hand to grab Goku's leg and kneed Goku in the side. Goku let go of his arm, and Trunks took this advantage to swing the kid in a circle. "You say you want to get away from the ship? Fine!" He tossed Goku like a sling south of the ship. On earth, Goku would have flown perhaps a mile, but on Kikaru, the gravity was so low, the saiyan went about two and a half miles before stopping himself in the air.

Trunks was right on top of him. He fisted Goku in the chest, sending him sprawling to ground. The entire moon shook from the impact. He readied a blue ki blast and aimed it where Goku was lying in the rubble. When he released it, he felt a sharp blow to the back of his head.

He felt himself losing control of his flight, but before he could fall, another fist rammed into his chin, sending him flying in the other direction. As he was soaring, a knee kicked him on his stomach, sending him toward the surface where he crashed into the ground faster than a meteor, causing a large crater.

Goku looked down toward the debris cloud with disappointment. Trunks was angry, but he wasn't channeling his energy right. "Hey Trunks!"

Trunks appeared beside him and threw a punch as hard as he could toward Goku's vulnerable ribs. The boy phased out fast enough to deliver a hard blow to Trunks' knees, causing him to scream out in pain. Goku was fuming at the demi-saiyan. "That was a cheap shot, Trunks. Don't do that again."

"You deserve the pain, you stupid third class piece of sh–"

A blow to the face shut Trunks up as bones cracked.

"You want to take it up to your father's level! You asked for it, Trunks." Goku suddenly released a dazzling aura, bright enough to light the entire surface of the darkening moon. In a second, his hair became a bright gold.

Trunks was in shock, holding his fractured jaw with his hands as he stared wide-eyed at the young saiyan shining before him. Then, his eyes narrowed and he let out a blood curling scream of both pain and anger as he, too, transformed into a Super Saiyan.

Goku looked at him, thousands of thoughts pouring through his mind. Mostly, the question of what was wrong with Trunks. He had never dared take on Goku before, and he hadn't even been training hard enough to give him a good fight. But a good fight is what Trunks wanted. Not a spar, but a bone-crushing, rib-breaking, blood-spilling fight to the death. This was not like the Trunks he knew. Even when he was little, Trunks always relied on Goten for battle support since most of his techniques dealt with attacking as a duo. Goku had never known Trunks to fight alone except in the gravity room with Vegeta.

This was a good opportunity to see what Trunks' abilities truly were. Vegeta had purposely kept Goku away from training Trunks, but from what Goku had seen so far, Trunks was making a lot of mistakes in combat and needed advice. Goku really wanted to help him become a better fighter. He had seen the potential that Mirai Trunks had achieved, and knew he could have gone even further. This Trunks could become more powerful than Vegeta if he wanted. The first step, though, would be to help Trunks achieve Super Saiyan 2. From what Goku was sensing, if Trunks were able to channel this pent up anger, he could come really close to achieving that. Transforming was not based on strength and power. It depended on spirit and the need to reach the new level. Hopefully Trunks might find a way to channel his anger into reaching higher potentials. Goku would have to wait to act on that one, but he might as well try to get him on the right path during this fight.

And what better way to knock Trunks onto track, than to kick up the notch a bit. Goku grinned to himself. _Let's see how he handles this one_. Trunks had been going all out, without any shame. If Trunks wanted to play dirty, he would be glad to know he'd be biting the dust after this.

Goku began to scream as he released his inner energy, charging up his ki as Trunks hovered in a conflicted state. Trunks was still tending to his jaw, seeing how badly it was injured, opening his mouth slightly to test the pain. His blazing eyes darkened with rage as he watched Goku begin to power up.

"Goku... You... bastard! That _hurt_!"

"You'll be feeling the pain after this, trust me."

"You aren't!" Trunks' eyes widened.

Lightning began to crackle around Goku. "Let's see how you can take on a _third class_' third _level_."

Trunks' eyes narrowed and he posed, charging up his own ki while watching Goku scream as his hair grew to an incredible length, flowing down to his ankles since he was so short.

Trunks didn't wait for Goku to finish his transformation. He rammed himself into Goku with all his weight in the blow.

Goku flew up and seemed like he was about to punch Trunks, but as he blocked, Goku phased out and reappeared behind Trunks, grabbing him in a headlock. He kneed Trunks in the back twice, sending a bone-chilling scream from the Super Saiyan, and threw him hurtling toward the ground. Trunks landed softly on his two feet, his furious glare centered on Goku who flew above him. He threw forth his hands and screamed "Buster Cannon!" A large ki blast emerged from his hands and headed straight for Goku.

Goku swatted the attack away as if it were a fruit fly.

As the blast went soaring away to space, Trunks flew at top speed and head-rammed Goku in the gut, but felt strong hands grab his arm and twist it back. Another hand grabbed his neck in another headlock. He was held immobile and in pain as Goku tsk tsked at him. "You let your guard down, Trunks! Now you're stuck in this position!"

"Get your hands off of me!"

"Only if you say 'Piccolo'."

"NEVER!"

Trunks' leg flew up to kick Goku in the groin, but the young saiyan was too small. His knee stopped short, earning a gasp from a now humored twelve year old, "Trunks! How shameless."

Trunks grabbed Goku's arms and flared his ki as high as he could to burn the pest that was pinning him helpless. The Super Saiyan 3 didn't flinch. He grinned stupidly as Trunks screamed out in anger, trying to squirm free. Trunks was fuming, red framing his eyes, growls roaring from him like a wild animal. He began to scream in a blood rage, raising his ki higher and higher till he felt he would explode.

Small sparks began to form around Trunks, stinging Goku in the process. Goku wanted to beam in pride, but found himself too carried up in trying to hold Trunks in a lock grip. _He's doing it. He just needs to push a little more._ Trunks formed a red ki shot and pounded it into Goku's stomach, causing the boy to loosen his grip on Trunks just enough so that Trunks slipped free and flew a good twenty feet away from Goku.

"You're going to pay for humiliating me..." The sparks were gone from Trunks, but his eyes held a green death sentence. "I'm going to do something that will make you regret ever fighting me."

"Let's see it," Goku crossed his arms, waiting.

"This is something that I've been working on for a while. Not even my dad has seen it. You're gonna be in a lot of pain, Goku."

"Just to humor you, I promise I won't block it. We'll see if I'm in pain."

Trunks practically bared fangs at the kid. "Don't mock my ultimate move."

Goku almost choked from holding in laughter. Wow, Trunks had a long way to go before reaching an ultimate move, but he'd play along just for humor's sake.

"Let's see it."

Trunks closed his eyes as a blue ki aura grew around his body.

"Just don't tell me you named it 'Burning Attack.' That'd be such a rip-off."

The enormous ki began to shake the ground, causing clumps of debris and grass to hover in the air.

"You know, you could name it something like 'Pan's Side-Kick.' She might like that name. It'd be an easy way to get on her good side." Goku grinned at his own teasing, hoping the words would strike home to Trunks, increasing the anger that could hopefully be channeled into the attack. Trunks snarled in warning, charging up even more.

Small sparks began to radiate from Trunks as the ki turned from blue to a bright green.

"You know, Trunks, I'm sure it's going to be a great light show, but if you were in a serious battle, you'd _never_ have all this time to charge up."

The green great brighter and brighter until it became a sharp yellow.

"Listen! If you became a Super Saiyan 2, this would be a cinch. Really, Trunks. I could help you train to become a Super Saiyan 2. You're really close." Goku crossed his hands, patiently waiting for Trunks to finish charging up.

A large red ki formed at Trunks' hands. In one moment it was there. The next moment, it was triggered. "BUSTER FLARE!" A shockwave erupted from Trunks as the energy rammed itself into Goku. An enormous blinding ki flashed so bright, the entire side of the moon met a white daylight. It flew from Trunks' hands, ramming straight into Goku, enveloping him in smoke and red and yellow energy. The ki was a constant flow from Trunks as he poured every last ounce of his spirit into the attack. When Trunks was finished, his flight faltered for a moment, and he panted while putting his hands on his knees. His hair flickered for a moment, and then came to rest as a pale lavender.

When the dust cleared, Goku was still hovering in the same spot, arms crossed. A few scratches were etched into his face. Slight traces of blood were on his arms. But otherwise, the only thing that changed about him was the large smile on his face. Goku had sensed Trunks' attack would pack a solid punch, but it needed a lot of refinement. Goku's third ascension's ki alone blocked most of the blow. Goku didn't even need to raise his hands. But Trunks did his best.

"I'm proud of you, Trunks, but be glad I'm not the enemy, because you've just left yourself in an extremely weak state."

"I'm not done with you yet, Goku," Trunks panted, doubled over.

"Yes, you are. Now lets go back to the ship and get you a senzu bean." Goku reverted back to his normal form and began to fly toward the ship.

"Goku! You get back here!"

Goku continued to fly forward, but was met with a kick on his back, sending him down a hundred feet.

"Trunks, I don't want to fight anymore! Stop this."

"I have more than enough energy to take you on!"

"Trunks, I know you're frustrated. I knew you had a lot of energy to get out, but this is ridiculous. You're going to pass out from overworking your body."

A foot flew by Goku's face again, but he smacked Trunks's ribs in mid-blow, sending him flying with a sickening _crack_. A large crater formed where Trunks smacked into the ground head first. Debris flew up in a mushroom cloud. When it cleared, Trunks laid there, wheezing. Goku was angry with him. At this point, Trunks was only hurting himself. This had to stop right now.

"You asked for it, Trunks! You need to learn when to give up! Ka...me..."

Trunks sat up in bewilderment, his arms shaking from strain. Exhaustion flooded into him and he felt dizzy just trying to lift himself.

"Ha..." A blinding blue ball of ki formed in Goku's hands.

Trunks' eyes widened at Goku's act. Was Goku out of his mind! He tried to call out, but choked on his own blood. The world was tipping and turning shades of white.

"Me..." The ball grew in size and lit the whole sky above him.

"Go–" Trunks coughed, "G-Goku! Stop!"

The blue light dissipated and Goku paused for a moment in the air. He then flew down to where Trunks was struggling to breathe.

"You give up?" Goku crossed his arms nonchalantly, a small mischievous smile playing on his face.

"Ye... yes..."

"Say Piccolo!"

Trunks found it hard to even breathe. "Pic..." he struggled, "c-co...lahh..ahhhhh..." Trunks' eyes rolled back and his head fell to its side, where it lay still.

"Trunks?" There was no response. Goku tapped his face gently. "Trunks?" He heard soft struggled breaths from the demi-saiyan who was passed out cold. "Oh wow, Trunks, I didn't realize how hard I hit you. And I was trying to hold back, too. Poor guy, I'll get you back to the ship and get you fixed up in no time."

Goku took Trunks and hoisted him onto his back. He flew over to the ship as fast as he could and when he reached it, he set the injured demi-saiyan down on the grass. As he went inside, Giru popped out from inside the ship and hovered over Trunks' sleeping form.

"Trunks injured? Giru Giru."

Goku called out from inside the ship, "Don't disturb him, Giru! He needs to rest while I find those senzu beans." After a moment, he called out again, "Giru, what are you still doing here? Could you please go and find Pan? Go watch her until we arrive."

"Giru sensed danger outside. But danger is gone. Giru go to watch Pan, Giru Giru!" The little robot then took off toward the city, leaving the Capsule Corp. ship behind.

Goku hopped down from the ship, saw the robot was finally gone, and walked over to the demi-saiyan. He was lying still, in a cold sweat. "Hey Trunks? Wake up, Trunks." He shook Trunks slightly, but got no response.

"Trunks, I need you to swallow this for me." He placed the senzu bean in Trunks' mouth and waited for him to instinctively start chewing. A few seconds passed by in silence. He wasn't moving.

Goku felt a pang of guilt. He had gone a little too far with Trunks. He had purposely been toying with him so Trunks could perhaps reach a new level. He was so close today. It wouldn't take much to knock him over the edge. All he needed was the right motive. But Goku went too far trying to help him achieve it.

"For having so much ki, you sure don't hit very hard, Trunks. You need to work out more." Goku smiled at his sleeping form. "Go spar with Pan. She'd really enjoy it." He sat down next to Trunks, who still wasn't moving. He really was out cold. "Come on, Trunks, swallow it." He patted Trunks' face gently. "Trunks! Come on, wake up."

The older saiyan twitched and let out a small moan. Goku could see Trunks trying to chew the bean, but every time he tried to bite down, he groaned in pain.

"Hold on a moment." Goku climbed up to the ship for a moment, and returned with a glass of water. He held it out to a semi-conscious Trunks. "Drink this. It will help you swallow the bean."

As Goku held the water to Trunks' mouth, the demi-saiyan coughed a little while trying to swallow. After a hard effort, he managed to get the bean down, and lay his head back and waited for the senzu bean to work its effect.

"You had me worried there. Are you feeling better yet?"

Trunks coughed a little and turned his head to the side, expelling the rest of the blood he had in his lungs. After a moment, he slowly answered, "I... I think so." Several minutes passed with Trunks slowly regaining his strength.

"Goku..." Trunks' breathing began to become more regular, "what..." he coughed, "...what happened?"

"I guess the spar went a little overboard. I didn't mean to hit you so hard. Sorry."

Trunks slowly sat up and reached for the glass of water. He drank a few sips and closed his eyes. "Sorry, Goku. I just... I haven't been myself lately. I've had a lot on my mind."

"Don't worry. We'll be out of here tomorrow. Can you handle one more night of it?"

Trunks smiled weakly. "Yes, I can. How long has it been since we started sparring?" He looked around and noted how it was completely dark with only the rising planet light casting a ghostly green hue on the world.

"Not too long. Maybe half an hour. We should get back to Pan, though." Goku reached out his hand in order to help Trunks up.

Trunks took Goku's hand and stood on his feet, looking down on the young saiyan. "Goku..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry. I mean it. I didn't mean some of the things I said."

"Don't worry about it. I forgot what you said, anyway." Goku smiled warmly. There was no need to make Trunks feel worse by commenting on how one of his insults actually hit home. He looked over Trunks' tired form with disheveled hair and blood caked on his skin. "Hey, Trunks, you know... you look pretty battered. You should change into some decent clothes before we return. I'll change, too. Tonight is a special night, you know."

Trunks laughed softly. "Special for you, because you have the camera."

Goku beamed, "What better way to preserve memories?"

"I swear, Goku, I'm going to feed that camera to Giru, and then that'll be the end of the evidence."

They both laughed quietly. Trunks put an arm around Goku, "Thanks, Goku. I really needed that spar. I haven't had a good fight in a while."

"With a little more training, I'm quite positive I could teach you a few tricks that will help you survive against an enemy one day." Goku grinned toward him. "Hey, Trunks?"

"Yeah?"

"How about this? I can teach you the Kamehameha wave, and you can take Pan on a date."

Trunks sighed. Not this again. "First you ask me to rename my attack to 'Pan's Side-Kick,' and now you want me to take Pan on a date so I can learn the Kamehameha wave. I swear, Goku, what am I ever going to do with you. Next, you're going to want me to name our firstborn son after you." Trunks smiled warmly.

Goku laughed. "Your firstborn son named Goku? I'm sure Vegeta would love that."

Trunks internally shuddered at the thought, but retained a genuine smile on his face. "How about a mix of your names then? Let's see... Vegito is unoriginal. How about... Gogeta? That's a nice combination. I could name my son 'Gogeta.' How about that?"

"Gogeta, huh? It has a nice ring to it. I'll be sure to remember that in case your father and I do happen to fuse again. I like it."

Trunks thought for a moment, trying to picture a mini him running around with Vegeta's hair, but lavender, blue eyes, and Goku's silly grin. The thought didn't settle well in his stomach. But maybe the kid would look more like Goku's side of the family. Knowing how Goten looked just like his father, the look could potentially be carried on through Gohan's daughter's genes. Speaking of Goten...

"Oh yeah, and about the Kamehameha wave, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to decline." Trunks looked down and blushed a little bit.

Goku sat on the grass and watched Trunks. "What do you mean? I don't understand why you wouldn't want to learn. It's always nice to learn new techniques just in case."

"Oh no, it's not that. It's just that... well... it's a little embarrassing to say."

"Oh come on! You can't do that to me!" Goku grinned widely.

"Well..." Trunks ran a hand through his hair. "You see... Goten already taught it to me several years ago..."

"He did!"

"Yeah, but... but don't ever tell my father, okay?" Trunks suddenly had a pleading face, with eyes gone wide with worry. "It's just... he just wouldn't understand. He'd think that I'm shaming my family. I know he'd take it personally, and it would hurt his pride. I don't want him to feel that way."

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Goku winked at Trunks, who was still bright red from blushing. "You should practice it sometime, though. I'd love to see you do it."

Goku looked at Trunks, who had once again reverted to his calm and reserved self. He remembered when Trunks was younger, he had quite a temper. His father had infused him with the thought that he should be treated as a royal prince, and he stopped at nothing to boss people around and let loose his fury if someone disobeyed him. It didn't help that he had a mother that spoiled him rotten on top of it. There were times when Goku, himself, could not fathom the thought of Trunks ever growing up to be a nice guy. However, when Bra was born and Trunks wasn't receiving all the attention anymore, everyone could see a noticeable change. He actually had to try harder to win affection, and in the process, learned to hold in a lot of his anger. Perhaps his job in Capsule Corp. also lead to his personality shift. He was forced to mature, to get over his stubbornness.

However, the internal brat was definitely not gone from Trunks. When he got angry, like these past few days, he exploded to an extreme. It was good that Goku could knock some sense into him. Trunks seriously could have had a tantrum back there, destroying their ability to be invited into the Temple to get the dragonball. It really was such a nice place, Goku wanted to do everything possible to avoid force. Especially when taking a holy relic. He, Trunks, and Pan would have an entire army to deal with if they took that road.

"Hey, Trunks?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me what the Temple is like, when you get back from there. I'm curious."

"Assuming that Pan won't remember it, I'd be glad to." Trunks smiled warmly toward Goku. Then, something struck him. "Pan... she's still back there. Let's hurry up and get changed so we can get this over with."

Goku nodded in agreement, and they both entered the ship with Trunks leading. Trunks smiled to himself. Only one night of this and then it would all be over. They'd have the dragonball within the hour if everything went according to plan.

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–_10/6/04_–


	10. Preparations

CHAPTER 10:  
Preparations

A ghostly dark green tint lit the moon as the large planet lingered in the sky. Goku and Trunks had flown back to the city at a high altitude, searching for the city lights. When they caught sight of the civilization ahead, they had landed in front of the chapel dome, the building brightly lit inside with mysterious sources of energy along the walls instead of candles. They greatly reminded Trunks of energy balls, but that would be impossible unless the building itself were a living thing. Trunks continued to ponder this moon's technology. His initial readings of this place had indicated that the moon had no mechanical technology and mislead him to believe that the place was going to be primitive. However, their own technology was far different than the type that Trunks was familiar with. If they weren't in such a rush, he would have loved to ask about their energy sources, and especially about the metal that he wore around his ring finger. He had never seen anything like it before in his life and would love to fiddle with the alloy and his capsule inventions.

Goku pulled Trunks away from his daydream and they both decided to check up on Pan first thing and headed to her dressing room. When they arrived, they saw that she was sleeping on her dressing room couch with Giru on standby mode, lying on the table beside it. Lelanu and one other small woman were standing in the corner, talking quietly among themselves. When they heard the two enter, they turned to face them, small friendly smiles lighting their faces. While Goku went to check on Pan, who was still in her pink dress, Trunks walked over to the ladies. He recognized the other woman as the girl who approached him at the party. He slightly returned their smiles and gave them a nod of recognition.

Lelanu's pale lavender hair, barely a shade lighter than Trunks', was tied back in a French twist. Her matching lavender eyes sparkled with a pleasant calming softness. It was easy to find oneself relaxing under her gaze.

"Mr. Trunks Briefs," Lelanu nodded, "I believe you have met my daughter, Shina." She gestured to the young girl beside her. "I hope you do not think I beprying, but she says that you have not determined a name for your first child. I find that unusual. Have you not thought of children?" Lelanu's eyebrows raised in question, "On Kikaru, we bond with the intention of having children. We would already know the names of our offspring before the ceremony. It is customary."

Trunks' expression went from one of shock to one of extremely shy embarassment, "Heh... heh... ahh..." He scratched his head and looked up, red tinting his cheekbones. "Well... you see... eh..." He coughed and looked over to Goku, who was sitting beside Pan, watching her. "I guess we'll see to that when, I mean _if_, the time comes..." He smiled shyly, "On Earth it's a little different. I mean, people marry because they want to have children, sure, but I think it's more of a legal binding than anything else..."

Lelanu smiled and nodded again, her hand on Shina's shoulder. Her daughter had long light lavender hair as well, cascading loosely down her back. She was a full head shorter than Lelanu, but as he looked at her more closely, he could immediately tell the resemblance. The older woman spoke again, "I would like to apologize on her behalf if her question offended you. Itbe merely tradition to congratulate people by asking their first child's name. Apparently, you had been embarrassed. Perhaps we may talk longer about the differences in our customs, but I must stress that you and Pan Son go to the Temple as soon as possible."

Trunks looked over to Pan again who was still sleeping on the couch. "Is there a great rush? Can't we wait a little longer, at least till she wakes up?"

"Only one couple may enter at a time, and depending how long you wish to stay there. If there were another newly bonded couple that wanted to enter the next plane, they would have to wait for you to leave."

"You know what, you are right. I should get this over with right now." He looked to Lelanu and Shina again and crossed his arms. "So what exactly do we do?"

Shina looked to her mother and to Trunks. She stepped forward, gaining their attention. When she spoke, her voice rang out in musical bells. "I can show you to the doors of the Holy chamber if you like. They lead to the Temple. You and Pan Son must go through the chamber and into the Temple. That is the room where you undress and leave your clothes. I can lead you to those doors, but I cannot go in." When Trunks and Lelanu nodded toward her, Shina continued shyly, "My mother and father cannon go near the doors, otherwise my mother would show you."

Trunks looked baffled, "Why not?"

Before Shina could speak, Lelanu silenced her with a hand. "Because those who have been bonded may only approach the Temple grounds once. Itbe tradition, just like the white robes we wear. Itbe part of our culture and beliefs."

"I see." Trunks put a thumb and forefinger to his chin as he thought. Only one chance to grab the dragonball. It better be an easy find. Or better yet... "Lelanu, do you know where the dragonball would be in the Temple? Is it in a shrine or something?"

"Therebe nota shrine that I know of. But I have notbeen there in thirty four years. Things may have changed since my day, depending on where Raiyan likes to keep his offerings. And a dragonball? I be not sure what that be."

"I'm sorry, I meant the, uh... Holy Stone..." Trunks blinked as his mind side-tracked to another thought completely, "What do you mean 'where Raiyan likes to keep his offerings'? Raiyan is an actual being?"

"Recently, according to the eunuchs, wordbe that Raiyan has returned to our Temple. Perhaps you will be the first couple to meet him."

_Wow, we could actually meet this 'Raiyan' guy! That sounds pretty interesting._ Trunks smiled a bit in anticipation. Now that would be a trip.

"Trunks!" He looked over to see Goku gesturing for him to come closer. "Pan is waking up."

"Excuse me for a moment," Trunks bowed slightly toward the two Kikaruan women and stepped toward Goku. "Is she okay?"

"Uh..." The girl moaned sleepily, bringing her arm to wipe her forehead from small beads of sweat. "Uhhh, oh... I feel so... ahhh."

"Pan, you awake?" Trunks looked down toward the girl. Poor thing. "Hey Pan, can you hear me?"

Pan's eyes snapped open and looked at Trunks. "Trunks...?" She looked to Goku, "Grandpa...?" She tried to prop herself up, but flopped back down the couch unsuccessfully. "How long have I been asleep? Oh man... I still feel so tipsy..."

"It's been about an hour, Pan. Do you feel you can get up? We have to go to the Temple now."

Pan nodded sluggishly and yawned, closing her eyes briefly.

"Pan, I'm going to pick you up. I am not sure if you should walk yet." Trunks leaned over and scooped the sleepy figure into his arms. She put her own arms around his neck for support, even though he didn't need it. She was incredibly light and he had no problem holding her. If anything, her arms around his neck made him feel a bit awkward. It reminded him of the way grooms hold their new brides as they stepped over the threshold of their home. It was a slightly embarrassing thought.

Goku stood and beamed over to Trunks who was handling Pan as if she were a delicate piece of china. He chuckled slightly, noticing Trunks' awkward face. "Trunks, she's not going to break." Within seconds, Goku was searching through his pack again to find the forgotten camera. With Trunks holding Pan like that, the moment was just too good to pass by.

"Goku, could you just take this seriously, for once?"

Goku found it and brought it up to his face. "Say... 'Mr. Popo'!"

Trunks tried it hard to force a frown and ended up cracking a lopsided grin that he was finding hard to control. Goku came up with the most random names to scream out at any point in time.

_Click! Flash!_ Trunks was blinded for a second before he realized that he was actually smiling for that picture. He never smiled for pictures. He _smirked_ in pictures because he looked too goofy when he smiled. That camera had to go. "That's it! Giru, wake up!"

"-giru giru-!" The robot shot up from the table in a frenzy. "Giru awake! Giru find Pan, -giru giru-."

"Yes, I see you found Pan. I'm very proud of you, Giru. Now, as a reward, Goku has a delicious camera for you."

"What? No way!" Goku held the camera protectively to his chest. "Nuh uh! You aren't getting my camera from me!"

"-giru giru-!" The robot shot toward Goku, who in turn dodged the robot by disappearing and reappearing next to Lelanu and Shina, who were watching the display with blinking eyes. "-giruuuu-!" The robot chased Goku around the room several times before Goku ran out of the room and down the hallway with a hungry robot trailing behind.

Trunks stepped out of the room to watch Goku turn a corner and vanish from sight, wailing down the halls as he tried to escape the hungry robot. He smirked a bit to himself, and turned around to see that Shina had moved to stand beside him.

"Be you ready, Mr. Trunks Briefs?" Shina closed her eyes and smiled sweetly to him.

Trunks looked down to Pan, who had been in a daze ever since she woke up. "I guess as ready as we can be right now." He shook her a bit. "Pan? Are you still awake or did I lose you?"

She answered faintly, smothering her words in his chest. "I'm here."

"Then follow me," Shina gestured for him to follow and started to walk to the hall where Goku had escaped down. However, instead of making a right as he did, they turned left and began to head on a tilt downhill. They walked through several halls, all leading farther underground. The lights did not shine as bright here, and the air began to get a bit damp, muggy, and stale. It smelled slightly of mildew. After a while of walking down halls, Trunks began to wonder why it seemed so dismal. _No wonder couples don't return here. This place reminds me more of a dungeon than anything else._

At the last turn, they found themselves in front of two gigantic doors. At least, they seemed gigantic compared to Shina, who was standing before them. They were only about three feet taller than Trunks, but in either case, they were large and white, and were trimmed with the same metal that Trunks now wore on his left hand.

"Thisbe the farthest I can take you. From here, you enter the chamber, undress, and continue on through the next set of doors. Remember that thisbe a religious place, so be sure not to swear or deface any part of the Temple."

Trunks stood there, holding Pan, and watched as Shina began to walk away. There were hundreds of last-minute questions running through his head, but he could only make out one before he could go in. "Wait..."

Shina stopped and tilted her head. "Yes?"

"How long do we have to spend in there, exactly?"

"Ibe unsure. Enough so you can pay your respects properly. I hear therebe a bed available in the chambers if you feel you would like to... spend some alone time with your new mate in addition to that."

"So, it doesn't have to be a full night or anything like that?"

"Well... I guess, traditionally itbe a full night here. But time passes differently in the Temple. It goes faster there."

"I see. Okay." All his other questions seemed insignificant. _Just take the dragonball and run._ The idea kept playing in his head. There shouldn't be anything keeping him from running in and out. Another thought was that he could lay Pan on the bed and go into the Temple himself. He began to seriously consider that as he turned and looked at the white doors that lead to the chamber, but a voice interrupted his thought.

"Oh, I can't wait to see the place! I mean, it's so hard to get in here to see it, we actually had to get _married_ to go there. I'm so excited to see what this place looks like... Ahh... Oh man..." Pan moaned against him, "I just wish my head would stop throbbing."

Oh yeah. Pan was still awake. He had almost forgotten that.

He sighed a bit, "You ready for this?"

"Mmm-hmm" Pan's grip around his neck tightened as she snuggled into him further, making his cheeks flush another shade of pink.

The intimate contact had to be ended. Now. She was getting too comfortable.

"Pan, I'm going to set you down now. Is that okay?"

"Mmm-hmm?"

He set her down gently, taking care not to drop her as her legs wobbled a bit. She latched onto his shoulder, squeezing tightly for support as she tried to regain her balance. Her eyes were droopy and her smile a bit lopsided. Her dress had a few wrinkles in the fabric and her hair was falling out of the bun it used to be in. In summary, Pan looked like she had seen better days. Trunks smiled encouragingly at her, his eyes betraying his anxiety of the moment.

He turned his eyes to look at the door, searching for a handle. Seeing none, he tried to push it, but it didn't budge. Blinking a bit, he tried pushing again, but the doors were steadfast. "What the-?"

"Let me try," Pan joined Trunks in trying to push open the door, putting both her hands on the metal lining that decorated it.

Suddenly, the metal on the door began to glow when both had their hands on it. In more shock than fear, Trunks jumped back as the door began to open on its own. By this point, he figured he would save the questions and ponderings for later. He and Pan had a mission. Not even glowing moving metal doors would detain him any longer.

The room before them was gigantic with high ceilings stretching up at least a hundred feet. All that distance they had gone underground was made up with the height of the place. Unlike the muggy air from the hallway, it smelled fresh and clean in the chamber. A large white bed with a pink canopy lay to his right, along with a wardrobe that was situated on the wall across from it. To his left, a large dining area was decorated with yellow flowers. There were no windows or torches, but the place was somehow lit. The light came from nowhere. It was as if the air itself were the light. It reminded Trunks of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, from when he was a little boy. It was one of the only memories that really stuck out in his mind from the Buu era. He had been too young to really remember that much without Goten's help, but the Time Chamber was hard to forget. Pan had never seen the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, however. And, in her groggy stupor, she looked around as if confused, still in her daze, leaning against him for support. Both their eyes settled on the door in the center of the opposite wall. A single white door which looked tiny compared to the size of the chamber. It must lead to the Temple. Trunks stepped into the room, helping Pan keep her balance as she followed.

"Pan...?" Trunks looked down at her as soon as they fully entered the room. The chamber doors began to close behind them.

"Mmm?" She looked up with glossy eyes.

"Okay, this is the hard part now."

"What is?" She yawned and closed her eyes, leaning on his shoulder.

"Pan, we need to undress. I need to take off my clothes and you need to take off yours. Can you do that?"

"No. I don't want to take them off."

"Pan, that door just proved to me that there is something going on here that is beyond his plane's physics. Metal just glowed, a door just opened and closed, but they don't have any technology for it. Even looking at this room, it reminds me of a place that is in Dende's Lookout. This really is a holy room, and I feel we need to get undressed."

"Fine." She stumbled away from him and walked with a slight wobble toward the dresser. "But you can't look."

He sighed, holding his head in his hand. "Pan, you know...listen..."

"No looking! You can't look! Ever!"

"Pan! Listen to me."

"No."

"Augh! What do you expect to do? Not have us look at each other at _all! _You look right, I'll look left, and we'll play a game of Marco Polo to find each other? Is that what you have planned, Ms. Drunk?"

"Yup."

"You need to grow up, Pan. I honestly could care less right now that you'd be naked. All I want to do is get out of here." Trunks walked over to the left side of the room, as far away from Pan as he could get, and removed his blue bandana from around his neck. "I mean, it's not like you haven't seen a naked man before, either." He tugged his black shirt over his head and threw it beside the bandana on the table.

"What do you mean I have seen a naked man before! How would you even know that!" Pan yelled from across the chamber.

"I'm not too knowledgeable about your recent life, but when you were little, Goten used to take baths with you all the time."

"Eww, don't even tell me that! That's a gross mental image."

"I seem to remember myself taking a bath with you, also. You must have been two... maybe three..."

"Okay stop it, Trunks. As it is, I feel sick. I don't want to think about how I've seen you and my uncle naked before."

Trunks smirked to himself as he undid his belt and set it on top of his shirt. "And, besides, you see Goku naked all the time."

"That's not my choice! Besides, he's just a little kid now. It's not like he has anything to hide."

Trunks scoffed as he stepped out of his shoes and unzipped his shorts. "It's not like grown men have anything to hide either, Pan."

A moment of dead silence followed his comment. Trunks froze in shock. It struck Trunks that he actually said something sexual to Pan. He _never_ said anything like that to her. He was glad she couldn't see the pink on his cheeks. He felt so foolish for saying that, as if he were actually flirting with a fourteen year old. If he knew any better, he'd say that he was acting more tipsy than Pan at the moment. He needed cold water splashed on him. This stress was making him say really stupid things.

The silence ended with a "You're such a dork, Trunks, you know that?"

That wasn't really the word he'd use to explain himself, but that would work. Whatever she said. He stepped out of his shorts and placed them on the table. He was now in only his boxers and socks. He wondered how Pan was faring, but kept his eyes glued on his own corner of the room, "How are you doing, Pan? Able to undress alright?"

"Yeah, I'm done. It's not like I was wearing a lot of layers. What's taking _you_ so long? And I thought women were supposed to take forever."

He hesitated a brief moment, then removed his boxers and then his socks. He now stood there in the nude. However, although he didn't have any clothes on, he wasn't uncomfortable at all. The temperature was warm enough so he didn't feel an chill.

"Pan, I'm going to back up toward the center of the room facing away from you, okay?"

"Okay, you do that."

Trunks stepped backward and stopped when he reached the white door. There was a small handle to it that also was made from the same metal. He touched it and felt the metal. It was warm, like Pan's ring had felt when he first held it. He attempted to turn it as if it were a knob, but it wouldn't budge.

"Pan, I think you need to come here, too. I think we both need to be touching this thing."

"Okay then, I'll back up."

Trunks sighed for the umpteenth time that day. It would be so much faster if she would just get over her qualms about seeing him this way. But _no_, she had to be stubborn and stick with her idea of not looking at him the entire time.

He felt her warm skin bump into him and suddenly felt himself jerk out of his thoughts. Immediately, they both recoiled a few inches away from each other in shock.

"Watch where you are standing!" Pan sounded irritated.

Trunks' eyebrows knotted angrily, but he kept his thoughts to himself. She was intoxicated. No need to yell at her. She'd be feeling her punishment in the morning.

He glanced over to his hand on the doorknob and saw her hand join his in touching it. The metal glowed for a second and then the door began to slowly open, very much like the previous entrance.

This was it. Just a few short minutes from getting the dragonball.

It was impossible to see what lay beyond the door. The entire view was blinding white light. "You go first and stick to the right," Trunks suggested and dragged his eyes away from the white Temple to stare in front of him.

"Going." He could hear her stepping through the door, but then after that, it seemed her steps vanished completely. Her ki even felt distant. He could still feel it, but it felt distorted, as if some sort of barrier were put up around her. He took her absence as his queue to move, and stepped sideways through the doorway.

––––––––

––––––––

–_10/9/04_–


	11. Meet Raiyan! Wait, Who?

CHAPTER 11:  
Meet Raiyan! Wait! Who?

For a brief second, everything flashed as white as a Solar Flare. He was blinded and shut eyes tightly. He felt the world shift around him. The gravity increased tenfold, pulling him like a deadweight to the ground. His legs underwent a great shock while trying to maintain his balance. Even the air was heavy, seeming to smother him in its humidity. It felt as if he stepped into a giant mega-gravity tropical rainforest. After a moment, he realized he had stopped breathing, and took a sharp intake of air. He opened his eyes and saw that a wall of leaves and flowers were before him. He was in some sort of garden. He cleared his mind and refocused his priorities. First was to make sure Pan was okay.

"Pan?"

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Pan!"

"I'm right here, dummy, behind you on the ground. Don't shout."

"Don't scare me like that. Next time, answer me."

There was another moment of silence. He heard Pan trying to stand up. The gravity must have knocked her off-balance when she came in here first.

"Where are we? Some garden?"

"I... I don't know." Trunks' eyes rolled up in thought. What he saw struck him speechless. _There's no way. NO WAY!_ His voice caught in his throat as he tried to make words out. Any words. There was just no way...

"What's wrong? Are you okay Trunks?"

"Oh my great Kami, Pan... PAN! Look up!"

After a split second, he heard a gasp behind him. "That's... impossible! How can this be? Where are we!"

A great sky of shifting colors stretched above them. There were clouds and birds. There was no ceiling. How could there be no ceiling! They were supposed to be underground!

"This is really strange. I mean... it's like we're on a completely different planet." Trunks stared at the sky in awe, but realized Pan was starting to sniffle behind him. "Pan?"

"Grandpa... we're on some planet... hic... and we left ...hic... Grandpa behind..." She sounded like she was about to break out in tears.

"Pan, don't cry. We can go back anytime, see?" He looked at the door they just came from, but did a double take when he saw that it was... gone! The door was GONE!

_Okay Trunks, don't panic. There must be another door here somewhere. People have to make it back somehow._ His own encouraging thought still left lead in his stomach. Although he wished it were true, one look at the sky and his hope began to falter. But, no matter what the case, they had to move on. They first had to get the dragonball. Then, they could worry about going back.

"Pan, just don't flip. We'll make it out of here somehow."

She fully broke out in sobs. It pained him that he couldn't console her with a hug or even a touch. She was intoxicated, emotional, traumatized, and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Pan, just wait here. I just you need to wait here while I go look around."

"No! No, I want to come. Don't leave me! Don't leave me too..."

"I'm not leaving you..."

"We'll walk together, okay? hic...Okay?"

Trunks nodded. She did have a point. There was no telling if they might be separated somehow. That wouldn't be good at all.

He reached back and found her left hand, taking it with his right. "We'll move together, okay?"

"Okay."

They began to slowly edge their way forward, through a passage of vines and flowers. It appeared as if they were approaching a clearing. Perhaps the dragonball would be there. Then, half the problem would be solved.

A voice screamed out that made them both nearly jump out of their skins.

"Get out! Get OUT! What is it with all these nymphomaniac hedonists that are running around my garden! Go BACK to where you came from!"

Trunks jerked his head to the path they had just come from. A little round blue man stood there, fuming with anger. Trunks felt his face go beet red.

"I finally find another planet and everything seems perfect, except out of nowhere, you naked lovebugs start prancing around my property! I've had it. I don't know WHERE you are coming from, but I want you to go home RIGHT NOW!"

"I ... uh..." Trunks tried to form words in his mind. "Are... I mean..." He was so embarrassed being seen this way, he couldn't find his voice. "Are you... Raiyan!"

"What? Raiyan? How would you know Raiyan? Sorry, but you've just missed him by about five eras. Now, go back to where you came from. Shoo..." The chubby man paused for a second, and took a sharp intake of breath as if something dawned on him. "T-Trunks? Is that you, Trunks! And Pan!"

Things were getting weirder by the second. How in the world, in all the universe of the four quadrants combined, did this man know his name! Trunks gaped stupidly, his mouth practically down to the ground.

"Trunks! Pan! You guys are _here!_ But... _how?_ I mean... you didn't _die_? Did you!"

Pan was silent throughout the whole thing. If she wasn't going to speak, Trunks had to be the one to find his voice. "Who... Who are you? How do you know us?"

"What? You don't recognize me? Well, I guess you wouldn't. It's not like you've ever seen me before, I guess. I'm King Kai."

Trunks flopped to the ground, unable to take it any longer. "K-K-King KAI! What are YOU doing here!"

"No, the question is, what are _you_ doing here! And why are two naked!" A thought dawned in King Kai's mind. "You two weren't...! Oh my goodness! And in the garden!"

"NO! Nothing like that!" Trunks turned several shades of red. "We're here because..." He was so embarrassed, it was hard to think of the explanation, "this is, uh...apparently the 'Temple' in Kikaru? The dragonball is supposed to be here, so we had to get married and naked to enter this place. But... this place is supposed to be on Kikaru! Where are we? How did _you get here_!."

"I live here! This is my new planet. Augh!" King Kai threw his hands in the air and yelled up to the sky, "How is it that every time I find a new planet, something is terribly wrong with the real estate!" He looked down, frowning, "I miss my old planet, no thanks to Goku." King Kai's antennae began to twitch excitedly. "But a wedding you say?" He looked toward Trunks with a dawning smile. "That reminds me of a joke."

"A... joke?" Trunks blinked. He heard Pan shift uncomfortably behind him.

"Yeah! Did you hear about the two antennae that got married?" The blue oversized bug was practically bouncing, "The wedding was lousy, but the reception was great! Hahahahaha!" King Kai started snorting in laughter, but Trunks felt sweat forming on his forehead. "Did you get it? Wedding? Reception! Hahaha-snort-hahahaha!"

"Uh... yeah..."

"Okay, hehehe, I need to get you a set of clothes. You two look ridiculous like that."

"Really? Oh wow, that would be great!" Trunks felt elated at the offer. It was exactly what he needed right now, other than the dragonball.

King Kai stood there for a few moments, as still as a statue as if in thought.

"Well, what's taking you?" Pan's aggravated voice broke the silence.

"I know, I'll make a deal. You each tell me one joke and I'll give you clothes."

Trunks and Pan exclaimed in unison, "WHAT?"

"Ah come on, one joke. You have to have one joke. Or else no clothes. Nope, no siree." He waggled his finger at the two with a wide grin.

_This guy is off his rocker_. Trunks stared in amazement.

"Okay, me first," Pan was a little too quick to come up with one. In her state, it would doubtfully be anything funny. King Kai smiled and put his arms behind his back in expectation. "What do elephants, trees, suitcases and bathing suits all have in common!"

There was no way. She _isn't_...

"...Trunks!"

His face turned a shade of purple. There could be no way... She must not have realized what she was saying. She had _some nerve_ saying that! "Pan, I'm going to make you suffer for that. That's _not funny_!"

King Kai was silent for a moment, his thoughts tumbling around in the big bug head of his, and then he cracked a grin. "Oh ... Hehe... I get it! Trunks, she's making fun of you! Talking about you _behind your back_! Hehehehehe-snort-hahahaHAHAHA-snort-HAHAHAHA!"

Trunks scowled feeling his eyebrows twitch in rage. "She's drunk, King Kai. That's the only reason why I'm not PUMMELING her right now!"

"Oh get a sense of humor, Trunks. You know I'm joking."

"I swear to all Kais, Pan, I will turn around and look at you."

Pan audibly shut up.

"You two sure do look funny standing like that. It's like you're both backed up against some wall snort hehehehe. Reminds me of Bubbles. He ran into a wall the other day, and boy, was he _plastered_! Hahahaha."

"This isn't happening..."

"Time for your joke, Trunks, and we can go." King Kai looked quite pleased himself, chuckling at his own awful humor.

Trunks never worked well under pressure. He tried to think of something quick, but only ridiculous jokes that Goten used to say came to mind. Goten would have been able to think of something quick. This guy was insane. He actually thought he had a sense of humor... Suddenly, an idea popped in his head.

"Okay, I have one. Achem... Why don't sharks eat King Kais?"

King Kai had a silly grin on his face. "I don't know, why?"

"Because they taste...funny."

Trunks heard Pan burst out in stifled laughter behind him. King Kai's grin became a tangled smile, and suddenly he too burst out in laughter.

Though her laughing fit, Pan managed, "Trunks that was so stupid, it was actually funny."

"Does that mean we get new clothes?"

King Kai nodded, all the while snorting in laughter. That couldn't be healthy, to laugh that much. Trunks raised his eyebrows toward the overgrown bug.

"Here you go!" King Kai reached out and POOF two training gis appeared in his blue outstretched hands. "Since I principally train, those are the only outfits I can really create out of thin air. If you want anything else, you have to wait a bit for the shipping and handling... not to mention the mail forwarding delay."

"These will be fine." Trunks couldn't help but grin. One problem solved.

Both Pan and Trunks changed into their outfits as quickly as they could. When they were fully dressed, they finally felt they could turn around and look at each other. However, even with clothes on, the two of them were still blushing when they saw each other.

"Okay guys, now that we have that out of the way... What do you need here? Oh wait, first, does Goku know that you two are here?"

"Goku? No. Actually... I'm still a little confused as to where 'here' is."

"What? You don't even know where you are? Surely they told you where the 'Temple' would take you, right?" King Kai was incredulous. "Oh wow! You're serious! You're in the Other World, boy. Another dimension. You're where ... well, dead people end up..."

The world flashed white in Trunks' eyes as he stumbled back. The whole situation was just ludicrous. There was just no explanation for how weird their day had been. "That's crazy..."

"I'll have to do something about that portal on that moon you came from. I don't know how that got there, but I don't want any more of those honeymooners on my property!" King Kai brought his hands to his head and began to pace, "Just think of them all, coming here and thinking they were entering some sort of Temple and the whole time, they're prancing around naked on private property as if it were some Garden of Eden."

"Listen, King Kai, I'm sorry to interrupt you – err – your thoughts... But, have you seen a dragonball anywhere, by any chance?"

"A dragonball? In this dimension? That's impossible. They'd stay in the living world."

"Yes, I know, but apparently someone placed a dragonball here somewhere."

"I don't know. I don't know where it could be." King Kai thought a bit. "But if it's on my planet, I can find it. Hold on." His antennae twitched a little bit and he looked as if he were deep in thought. "Hmmm... interesting. Very interesting... Oh...? No... Wait..no... Oh! I found it."

Pan stumbled a bit on shaky legs, "You did?"

"But that's strange... no, no, it can't be? What? Oh my. Hehehe... oh my!"

"What's going on?" Trunks felt like he would strangle King Kai to death, but the halo above King Kai's head made him realize that Goku had already done the job for him. _I'm going to treat Goku to a cornucopia of buffets when we get back to Earth. He earned that one._

"That's funny..."

"Just tell us already!" Trunks felt his eyes bug out in anticipation.

"It's in my house. But I never noticed it before. It must have recently been put there... Oh my... hahaha, wait here, I'll go get it for you." King Kai scuffled away from them, heading beyond the clearing, to another path in the gardens.

"Hey!" Pan looked to where King Kai had run off. "He just left us. Where did he do?" She sighed and began to walk in a straight line with her arms outstretched, as if it were a difficult thing to do.

"I don't know." Trunks took his moment to get a better look at the young girl before him. She wasn't very talkative tonight, no matter how hard she tried to act normal. This just wasn't like her. He had felt like he was doing all the talking for them, which was definitely a 180 from what would normally happen. She'd usually speak on account for him, get him stuck playing hero without his consent, and push him around as if he were some convenient side-kick. _"Pan's Side-Kick..." What a stupid suggestion from Goku._ But the hard fact was that it was, in a sad way, somewhat true.

"Back!" King Kai returned hastily.

"Wow," Trunks turned his head and boggled, "That was so fast, you were barely even gone."

"Yes, well, it wasn't hard to find. I'm just surprised that it ended up where it was. I never noticed anyone entering my home. And, who'd have ever thought to look in the sink?"

"The sink!" Both Pan's and Trunks' mouths dropped wide open.

"Yeah. I upgraded to the ultra deluxe edition bathroom, equipped with jacquzzi and fountain. No wonder they thought it was some sort of shrine."

Pan shook her head slowly and raised her hands above her head, "I'm not even going to ask about this one."

King Kai handed the Five Star Dragonball to the demi-saiyan. Trunks took it carefully and inspected it thoroughly. It almost seemed unreal to his touch, as if it were a fantasy come true. They did it. They finally had the dragonball. All the sufferings that he had to endure for the past two days finally paid off. It was in his hands now. It was all over.

Now, they had to get out of there.

"So you two, is there anything else you need around here, or will you be off?" The blue man adjusted his outfit and put his arms behind his back again.

"Actually," Trunks scratched his head, "I'm not sure where the exit is. We don't need anything except a way out of here at this point. But thanks a lot for helping us with the dragonball."

"A way out? Oh, like that portal you two came from? I thought I had destroyed it yesterday. You should not have been able to come here to begin with, but now you most definitely won't be able to return through that wall. Nope, I don't think there is any other way back to your moon from here."

Trunks felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. The world seemed even heavier for a moment, pulling him down using his own weight against him. A sudden realization hit him and he trembled with panic. "There's... no door... No way back? None... at _all_!" Trunks grabbed onto King Kai's outfit with both his fists and began to shake him violently, "Do you know what this MEANS!" He shook King Kai harder with ferocity, "We're going to be _stuck here_! Goku can't instant transmit us out of here! The whole Earth is going to be destroyed because of this!" Trunks released King Kai and took a step back, feeling as if tears were forming in his eyes. "We're stuck here..."

King Kai laughed and dusted himself off. "You're not stuck, Trunks. Goku isn't the only one that can instant transmit. I can take you two back to Kikaru in no time."

"You can?" Pan raised her eyebrows as Trunks stared wide-eyed at King Kai.

"I need to go with you two anyway. I'll see to it that the doorway to my new planet is sealed shut forever. I can't keep having these naked kids running around my property anymore, eh?"

"If you can do that, that would be amazing. Thank you! Thank you so much!" Trunks shook King Kai again in joy. "We need to get back immediately, King Kai. We've spent too much time sacrificing time for the expense of attaining this dragonball. I don't mean to rush you, but it'd be really great if we could go back right now."

"It's no problem! Hey, calm down!" King Kai gently removed Trunks' claws from his clothes. "It'll be nice to see Goku again as well. Just touch my back and we'll be out of here in a jiffy." When both the others touched him, he thought out loud "Okay let's see here... Goku... Goku, let's see... Hmm..." His antennae searched for the moon kikaru. "Aha! I found him! Hold on tight!"

One moment they were there, the other moment they were gone. They vanished into thin air, instant transmitting faster than the speed of light toward Goku's energy.

----------

Goku was trampling anything and anyone in his way. "No way, Giru! There's no way I'll let you have this!" He laughed happily as the robot lagged behind.

The dawn was almost breaking. The early birds were setting up their stands in the marketplace. Goku was out in the city, running through the streets like a madman trying to escape the robot that was chasing him. After a while, the chase ended up becoming a game of cat-and-mouse to the two while waiting for Pan and Trunks to return to Kikaru. He had sensed their kis vanish several hours ago and wondered how long they would be, but lost his track of time during his game with Giru.

Goku flew up to the top of one of the residential buildings. He stood on the roof and looked down to see if Giru may have followed him. He threw back his head and laughed, hands on his hips. "Haha! I think I outran that robot once and for all." He smiled and tossed the camera up, catching it. "Nobody will find me up here."

Suddenly, three figures zapped before him, appearing out of thin air. Goku jumped back by instinct, in shock. Somewhere in the sudden panic, the camera went flying into the air. He turned around to catch it, but saw with great irritation that Giru was hovering before him, his prize camera in his hands.

"Giru catch camera, Giru, Giru! Play again, play again!"

Goku went from eyeing the robot to turning and blinking at the three figures that stood before him. At first, he thought his eyes were deceiving him. "King Kai!" He blinked, "Trunks? Pan! What are _you_ all doing here?"

"Grandpa! Oh Grandpa!" Pan staggered over to Goku and gave him a bear hug. "I thought we'd never see you again!"

"What happened?" Goku suddenly looked concerned.

Trunks looked at his watch and the approaching dawn. He began to program something into it and half-mindedly said, "Don't mind her, Goku, she's still a little dazed. We were fine. We ended up on King Kai's planet."

"What? King Kai's planet? You mean..." Goku put his fingers to his chin in thought, "Raiyan is ... King Kai!" Goku grinned at the thought.

King Kai chuckled toward the boy. "Not quite, Goku, but around the same ball park. I only met Raiyan a few brief times. I guess I'll put a long story short. Raiyan was the real name of one of the original five Grand Kais. Unfortunately, he had died in the fight against Majin Buu many years ago, leaving his property open for new management. However, seeing as I helped train one of the best fighters in the universe..." King Kai flexed his muscles immodestly, "... the Supreme Kai granted me an upgrade to a nicer planet. I guess these people haven't gotten with the program yet!"

"I see!" Goku reached over and grabbed the camera from Giru before the robot had the chance to protest. "So... are you going to set them straight?" He stopped and thought a bit, "You know, it might be hard to break the news to these people that their God is dead."

"I'm not going to break the news. I'm going to break that door! The one that leads to my new planet. They can keep their religion for all I care, but when they start romping around my property, that's trespassing." He pointed a finger up, as if trying to make a point, "Well, in any case, I'm off to destroy to their Temple entrance. I'll see you all later. Hopefully in a long, long time if you keep up your health."

"Wait, King Kai...?" Trunks looked up from his watch and made eye contact with the Kai. "Could you do us a favor?" Trunks stepped forward a bit clasping his hands together.

"Me? Grant a favor? What is it?"

"Well, when you go to the chamber, can you grab our clothes for us? They won't let us back down there to claim them, and, well, I'm sure Pan might like to keep her wedding dress as a memento."

"Ah no problem. I'll leave them on your spaceship for you on my way out. Consider it done. Oh, wait." The blue man beamed happily as a light bulb went off in his head, "I know! How about, consider it an advance favor for a funny joke you'll think of and tell me one day, okay?" King Kai grinned sheepishly. "Oh, and Goku?" His happy air vanished and he looked deadly serious for a moment.

"Yes King Kai?"

"Don't even _think_ about instant transmitting to my new planet with a self-destructing enemy. I'll not tolerate that anymore from you."

Goku laughed a little bit. "Don't worry, I promise."

King Kai gave a little wave and then vanished from sight.

After watching the Kai dissapear, Trunks looked to Goku and Pan and put his hands on his hips. "Does this mean we can go now?"

Goku put his arms behind his head. "Yeah, as soon as we say goodbye to our new friends. I don't see anything else that would hold us back."

Finally, they would be able to leave this place. Within the hour, Trunks would make sure. They had five dragonballs now. Two to go. He could imagine seeing the Earth again. It would be the most wonderful feeling. He could hear it calling to him. Home. He'd be returning soon, and his life would resume right where it left off. His family would welcome him home with open arms. Even his father would nod in acknowledgement. It would be good to be home.

––––––––

They all stood in a group in front of the Capsule Corp. ship. Lelanu, Hikaru and Shina had come to see them off. Goku was up in the ship, restocking some of the kitchen supplies with Giru, and Pan was talking with Shina several meters away from Trunks and the other two Kikaruans.

"Itbe good to have bonded two from another planet. It gives us great pride to know we have spread a bit of our culture to other lands." Hikaru bowed respectfully toward Trunks, who stood two feet taller than him. "If you have any last minute questions about our culture, feel free to ask."

Trunks thought for a moment and crossed his arms. "Well, I guess, out of curiosity, can you explain to me the 'bonding' thing again? You say I cannot bond to any other. Why is this so? Does this mean I can never fall in love with any other woman?"

"Oh no, no." Lelanu shook her head with a smile. "The ring does not control whom you love or affect any part of your personality. It bemerely a symbol that you have bonded. It is a part of you that you cannot hide. As long as it is on your finger, you cannot bond with any other woman, do you understand? You cannot wear two rings at once."

"Ah, I see. I can't wear two rings. I get it. That's the same on Earth, as well."

"However, there be one thing that the ring does do..." Lelanu nodded slowly, "as I have mentioned previously... You cannot kill your mate in any way. That includes watching others take her life. Itbe not possible. If you do not voluntarily defend her, the ring will make you."

"So, wait, wait. What do you mean? Are you implying that... if she dies, are you saying that I'll die too?" His stomach tightened. _Please say no_, he thought desperately. He may have involuntarily dug himself into a pit with this one.

"No, nothing of the sort." Hearing her say this, Trunks felt relief wash over him, but he tensed again, hearing her words as she continued with a smile toward her husband, "But you would make sure that _you_ would die _before she_ would, if her life were in danger." She paused, "A simple way of putting it be to say that you'd give your life to protect her." She looked at Trunks, "If she dies of natural causes, however, the ring will lose its effect."

"So you _are_ saying the ring is enchanted with something?"

"It is not enchanted, Trunks Briefs. It holds a great deal of her spirit, which acts as your guide and protects you. It holds your bond, not a spell."

He gave a confused sigh and ran his hand though his hair. "Alright. Well, I still don't really understand it, but as long as you say I am free to love other people, I don't have a problem with it. And, I don't think the ring will ever have to force me to keep Pan safe. Although I know she can fend for herself, with or without a ring, I'll be protecting her."

Lelanu smiled warmly toward Trunks and wrapped her left arm around her husband, pulling him close to her. "Perhaps one day, you will learn to love her, Trunks Briefs. I wish for your happiness always. Congratulations on your bonding, and may you choose a name for your first child soon." She nodded her head respectfully toward him and rested her head on Hikaru's shoulder.

The cultural remark about his firstborn child left Trunks feeling unsettled. It only served as a reminder that he wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. He nodded toward Lelanu and Hikaru, bowing slightly, and said, "Well, we must go. It was nice coming here. You gave us a really nice ceremony and I won't ever forget it." He turned to face the two younger girls, "Pan, let's go. Say goodbye to your friend. We're leaving." He waved a bit and climbed up the ladder to the ship.

Walking past the main lounge, he went to the control room and sat down in the pilot's chair. It felt so good to be back in that seat. Looking at the monitor, he began to punch in several coordinates and mathematical calculations. He noted something that made him feel a lot happier.

The nearest habitable planet was a medical facility called Vidal. They could pick up some more fuel for the ship and extra parts just in case. It would be a two day trip to get there, but it would be a nice pit stop before finding the last two dragonballs.

Trunks pressed the intercom button on the dashboard and said into the microphone, "Goku, Pan, we're taking off. Come to the cockpit right away." He sat back in the chair, a relaxed smile on his face. From here on out, everything would be a smooth ride. He would make sure of that... as long as Pan didn't volunteer them for any more heroic roles. And no more wedding dresses. They had seen enough of weddings on this trip.

He heard Goku enter the room and sit down to his right. "Hey Trunks, where are we off to now?"

Pan came in and sat to the left of Trunks. "Giru hasn't detected any close dragonballs. How about we go flying for a while?"

"No, you two, we're going to a planet called Vidal. They should have a lot of supplies we've been needing. And," He turned to Goku, smirking, "they even have restaurants."

"What! Then what are we waiting for!" Goku happily leapt over Trunks and pressed the "Launch" button.

"No Goku, wait –!"

The ship blasted off the moon, throwing the three screaming saiyans all over the cockpit in the process.

––––––––

––––––––

–_10/9/04_–


	12. Distress Signal

CHAPTER 12:  
Distress Signal

All the lights were out in the cockpit except for the screen that pinpointed coordinates. The small source of green light cast slight shadows in the room and on a certain demi-saiyan who was leaning back in his chair with his legs propped up on the dashboard. He was staring out into space, relaxing and enjoying the view. There wasn't anything as peaceful as looking out upon the vast nothingness with billion of tiny balls of light glittering in its wake.

Everything was quiet on the ship. The other two had retired to bed soon after they were out of the planet's orbit. It had been several hours, but it was easy to lose track of time when in space. The only time that existed here was the lifespan of stars and the fastest light could travel. Trunks yawned slightly, but did not feel tired. He figured that he would nap when the others were awake, so at least someone could be at the bridge at all times just in case of emergency.

It was at these moments he found his thoughts wandering toward home. They had been gone almost a year. He wondered if his sister had grown at all or if Goten finally found himself a steady girlfriend. His thoughts lingered on Goten for a bit before he started to think of his job. There had been several companies that Capsule Corporation was in the process of buying out. He wondered how that process went. They also were considering taking Capsule Corporation public, putting it on the Japanese stock market. It would be beneficial to the company for sure, and if everything went right, he could finally retire and not feel guilty about it. He absolutely hated his job. Every day was exactly the same thing, dealing with the same people, putting up with the same excuses, the same this, the same that. He often found himself escaping out the window when the pile of legal briefs and contracts got too high on his desk.

He started subconsciously playing with his brown gloves he wore, pulling the fingers in thought. It was just so peaceful. This was the best part of the trip by far. Being by himself and thinking, watching the stars, not having to worry about what trouble they would get into next. His eyes glazed as he daydreamed again, of what he would do with his life once he retired. He could travel, or… he could actually invent things of his own. He loved working with his mother on projects. It made him feel as if he was actually making a difference with the company. However, being its current President, he was forced to do all the paperwork. He hadn't been able to tinker with circuits in a long, long time. Several years, in fact. That was, until now. That's something he loved about this trip. He could repair damage to the ship easily. It came naturally to him and he got a high off of it. Yes, when he would retire, he'd build his own space ships. That would be really fun.

During his thoughts, he pulled his glove off his left hand. Although the lights were off, the small light from the coordinate monitor helped him to dimly make out the silhouette of his hand in front of the window. He was still wearing the wedding ring from earlier. He seriously considered taking it off now, but he was afraid of somehow hurting Pan's feelings if he did that so soon. It really didn't matter, anyway. He often wore his brown gloves that would hide his ring so he would never have to think about it. He'd take it off later before they would return to Earth. That way, Pan would understand why he would be removing it and not be offended.

He slid his glove back on and began playing with the leather fingers again. Within the past few days, they had had more of an adventure than the last several months combined. So much had happened. He really hoped, more than anything, that things would go smoothly for the rest of the ride and no more life-altering things would pop up. He was getting pretty sick of having to figure his way out of a situation that Pan would lead them into. He moved his right hand up and started playing with his hair, curling it around his finger for amusement. He definitely needed a hair trim. Perhaps he could ask Pan to do it again. When she would wake up, that would be on his list of things to talk to her about.

He was jerked out of his thoughts when a small red light began to blink on the dashboard. He set his feet back on the ground and leaned forward in his chair. That was odd. That light had never blinked before. What could that mean? He stood up and turned on the cabin lights to get a better look.

"What the…" Trunks looked at the label under the light. It was an emergency light, but what was the problem? The ship wasn't damaged at all. There would be more than one light blinking if there were an oxygen leak. What could that be?

On the coordinate monitor a message began to flash in red: 'Transmission pending.' Trunks hesistantly turned on the radio, unsure of what to expect.

The radio crackled in static, a voice sounding frantic: "…help…..attack on the ship…..-crackle-" The static returned for a moment as Trunks stood in a stupor. "need assisitance…..if anyone can hear…. the coordinates are…" Trunks grabbed a pen, tore off a page from the instruction manual under the dashboard and scribbled the numbers down as fast as he could. Some ship needed help out there, and he couldn't ignore a distress signal.

The transmission ended and the radio turned itself off, going on 'standby' mode. Trunks quickly entered the coordinate numbers into his monitor and realized the ship was not even an hour away from their own location.

Trunks bolted out of the cockpit and ran through the ship, stopping by the bedroom and slamming the door open. "Guys, wake up. We have to rescue a ship!"

Pan moaned and turned over in her bunk, pulling the covers above her. Goku stirred and mumbled something under his breath. Trunks turned on the lights, earning groans from under Pan's covers. "Come on, wake up. We have to get in our space gear."

Pan threw back the covers angrily and sat up, squinting in the light and shielding her eyes with her right hand. "Trunks, can't we rescue them in a few hours?"

"I got a distress signal from some ship that is fifty minutes away, less now, and we're the only ship in the vicinity that can help them. So, get up!"

"Ohhh…. Ohhh, ahh…" Goku sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. "Oh man, I'm so hungry. Do you think you could make us some breakfast while we're getting ready?"

"Worry about eating later. I'm going to change. I suggest you two do the same." Trunks grabbed his spacesuit from his closet and left the room.

Goku watched him go and felt a deep rumbling in his stomach. His stomach hurt so much, he wasn't sure if he would even have the strength to get out of bed. He was starving. "Pan…? Could you make me anything?"

"Grandpa, don't talk to me right now." Pan jumped down from the bed and slowly staggered toward her closet. "I feel like... my head is going to explode..."

"Pan, I'm so hungry. Even some eggs would be really great."

"Is that all you can think about!" She spun around in anger, "If you can't fight, you have to eat! Grandpa, make y_ourself_ something." She grabbed her suit and began to leave the room. "I'm _sick_ of cooking for you! Why don't you cook for _us_ once in a while and stop complaining about your stomach!" As she left, she slammed the door, leaving a stunned Goku behind.

"Wow," Goku got out of bed and scratched his head, "She sure is in a bad mood today…"

––––––––

Pan stormed into the cockpit and sat down in her seat, crossing her arms and huffing. Those space suits took forever to put on and were itchy. All she wanted to do was get this over with. She glared over at Trunks, who was reading something on the monitor and punching some buttons. "And then _you_ tell me that _I _am always the one trying to play 'hero.' Am I _correct_, Trunks?"

He chortled a bit and looked at her with a grin. "How are you feeling today?"

"You… you want to know how I'm feeling!" She felt like wringing his neck. "In addition to my pounding headache, my sore muscles, my tired body, and my itchy suit, I'd say I'm just _peachy_!"

Trunks looked back at the monitor, still grinning. "Just have a few glasses of water. You'll feel better in a little bit."

"I'm not thirsty. Plus, if I go to the kitchen, _Grandpa_ is going to assume I'm willing to cook him something. He's like a leech! He just feeds off you, sticking to you like glue because you provide meals for him."

Trunks laughed and looked at Pan again, "That's exactly what my mom says about my dad. I guess it's just a Saiyan thing."

"He can't do anything by himself. Just watch, he's going to call out to me for help because he can't figure out how to put on his spacesuit. I give him twenty seconds."

Trunks' eyebrows raised. "No!"

"Bet?" She reached out her hand, grinning.

"Bet." He shook her hand and watched his watch. "Sixteen seconds….ten seconds…"

"Paaaaan!" they heard from the other room, "How do you put on this helmet!"

Both Trunks and Pan laughed aloud. Goku really _was_ that predictable. Trunks shook his head in disbelief, grinning widely and crossing his arms. "Okay Pan, you won. What do I owe?"

"_You_ cook for us next time, no way out of it."

"Sounds fair." Trunks looked over to the entrance. Goku stood there, holding his helmet in his hands, his spacesuit completely backwards. "Goku!" He hung his head in his hands. "You're a lost cause, you know that?"

"What?" Goku blinked.

"Pan, don't worry, I'll help him out. You watch the monitor and tell me if the ship appears on the scanner." Trunks walked over to the Goku, put his arm around the boy's right shoulder, and escorted him over to the changing room.

Pan leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment. She was so tired, but at the same time, she was too awake to fall back asleep. She looked at the monitor and only saw blank space. Nothing was showing up.

She stood and began to pace. It felt good to move. She didn't feel as sick when her body was active. Maybe after this, she and her grandpa could have a good spar. She stopped pacing in front of Trunks' chair and sat in it. It was still warm from when he was sitting in it. She smiled to herself thinking of how nice it would be when he could cook for them tonight. It would be her night off. She stretched her arms and put them behind her head, leaning back and staring at the monitor.

A good few minutes passed. Pan was getting bored and extremely impatient. Trunks was still doing Kami-knows-what with Goku while she just sat there staring at the screen.

Suddenly, a little blip appeared on the monitor. It was a teeny white dot, but it was getting closer to the ship as they were approaching it. "Trunks!" She called out, hoping he would hear. "Trunks!"

In a flash, he was in the room with Goku trailing not far behind, fixing his helmet. "Thanks, Pan, I can handle it from here."

Pan stood up and returned to her seat, which was cold. She looked over to Trunks, who was programming something into the computer database. It suddenly struck her that Trunks was a genius. For being the overgrown oaf that he was, he still was possibly one of the smartest people she'd ever know in her life. Because of that, she felt a tremendous respect for him. She was glad he came on the trip. If it weren't for him, they probably would never have gotten out of some of those sticky situations they got into.

Another few minutes passed, and as Pan looked out the cockpit window, she could see something in the distance. It was a large star they were approaching. A little too large. She began to realize the thing was _gigantic_… and they were heading right for it!

"Trunks, slow down, we're going to head right through that star!" Pan gripped the sides of her seat in terror, trying hard not to imagine herself being burnt to a crisp within minutes.

"I know, apparently the ship is entering the corona."

"Wow," Goku squirmed in his chair, "That's pretty dangerous, don't you think? I mean, I've heard of people relying on the sun to get tans, but I think they went a little too far for this one."

"Giru Giru!" The robot suddenly entered the bridge and flew around Trunks' head. "Giru senses danger! Danger! Danger! Giru, Giru."

"There it is!" Pan pointed to a large cruise spaceship that was heading straight for a star. "Wow, I can see why they made the distress call. It looks like the ship can't escape the star's gravitational pull."

"No," Trunks swatted Giru away from his face with a confused expression, "The call was about an attack. I don't understand what happened. They didn't say anything about being pulled into a star." He stood up, left the cockpit, and began walking over to the launching bay. "In any case, let's rescue as many people as we can. Giru?"

"Giru coming!" The robot flew out of the room and hovered before Trunks. "Giru ready for action, Giru, Giru."

"Giru, about how much time do we have until that ship falls into the star?" As he was asking this, Trunks burst through the launching bay doors and headed over to a table that lay in the corner.

"About ten minutes, Giru Giru."

Trunks took out a metal box, opened it, and threw out three capsules. They exploded into three ships. Pan and Goku each took one. Trunks grabbed Giru and headed to the third.

"Alright guys, let's head out. We have a time limit, so let's snap to it."

––––––––

The ship automatically opened its cargo bay doors to let the trio in. After they landed, Trunks went first, leading them through the halls. They were completely empty, as if everyone had abandoned ship.

"Hello?" Pan called out, cupping her hands to her mouth. "Is anyone alive in here?"

"That's funny," Trunks shook his head, "I could have sworn they said they were being attacked, but I don't see any dead bodies. It just doesn't make any sense."

"Giri senses danger. Danger! Danger!"

"Calm down, Giru. Where is this danger?" Trunks tried catching Giru, but the robot flew out of his grasp. "Giru, come back here."

"Giru senses life force!" The robot spun down the halls.

"Giru! Wait up!" Pan ran after the robot and Trunks was about to follow, but he heard something crash behind him.

"What was that?" He looked toward Goku and then glanced behind him.

Goku turned around and found himself looking up and up and up and…"Woah! That thing is huge!" He stepped back a bit to get a better view.

"Goku, watch out!"

A hoard of missles were fired straight at the two saiyans. Trunks and Goku split up, moving at lightning-fast speed, catching all the missles before they hit anything to cause further damage to the ship. They each held six with a seventh in their teeth by the time they were done. They lowered them gently to the floor, making sure nothing would trigger them to go off. They looked back up at the robot and tried to calculate the damage that this robot could do.

"Do you think this thing caused the attack?" Trunks looked to Goku as they got into fighting stances.

"No way. This thing is not nearly powerful enough to take down everyone at once without any survivors. Something else must have gotten here first. In any case, let's take it down!"

Working together, Trunks and Goku broke the machine part, limb by limb. A few ki blasts to its joints brought the entire thing down in shambles. It was possibly the easiest fight they had had so far on the trip. It was too easy. Trunks realized Goku was right. Something else must have caused all this damage… but what?

"Hey you two! I found a survivor!" Pan returned from around the hall, carrying a boy with green hair on her back. Giru followed closely behind. "This boy needs some serious medical attention."

"Giru, how much time until the ship crashes into the star?" Trunks reached into his pocket.

"Five minutes, Giru Giru."

"Great. Okay." Trunks pulled out a capsule and threw it on the ground. It exploded to become a wardrobe of space suits. "Let's get this guy into a suit and let's get out of here."

Pan laid him down and they suited him up as quickly as they could manage. The boy was out cold no matter how much they struggled to get his suit on his body. When they were done, Trunks picked him up and carried him in both hands.

"Two minutes! Two minutes remaining!"

The ship was beginning to melt. The ground felt hot under their feet. "Okay guys, I take it that that's our cue to start flying!" They left the ground and flew as fast as they could toward the cargo bay. They reached their ships in record time. While Pan ran to the control panel, pressing any buttons she could manage, Trunks ran over to his ship and tried to fit the boy in with him.

"No good! The boy can't fit."

"I'll take him." Goku grabbed him and threw him into his own pod. "Pan, hit the button that opens the doors!"

"I'm trying! It's not working!" Her voice was filled with panic. "The doors won't open, guys! What should we do!"

"Thirty seconds remaining! Twenty-nine, twenty-eight…"

"Pan, get in a pod, NOW, we're blasting out of here!" Goku stood in front of his pod and aimed for the cargo doors. A large yellow ball of ki blasted from his hands and made a gigantic hole that led to outer space. "Let's go!" He jumped into his pod and shut the lid.

All three pods made it out just as the ship exploded into the star. At first they had a good start with decent speed. They seemed to be escaping from the star for a few moments, but then the ships started slowing down, no matter how hard they programmed it to speed up faster.

"What's going on?" Pan screamed over the intercom. "We're not moving!"

Goku shouted back "The gravity is pulling us in!"

"This isn't going to work guys, what should we do!" Trunks pounded on his control panel, trying to boost the pod's energy. Nothing was working.

"We have to fly! It's the only way we can get back." Goku opened his lid, grabbed the boy and pushed his ki behind him as hard as he could to get away from the star.

Pan and Trunks abandoned their pods as well, with Trunks holding a hysterical robot which was sending out distress signals by the hundreds. They both pushed their kis behind them as hard as they could manage to keep up with Goku, who was in the lead in the race for the ship.

A quick glance behind herself, Pan realized their pods were crashing into the star's chromosphere. In her terror, she began to lose her concentration on flying. They were all going to die. _Not like this. I can't die like this…_ She tried to focus her thoughts on flying, pushing all of her ki. She could feel herself slipping. She just couldn't keep up.

"Pan, push harder! You can do it!" Goku tried to cheer her on, but it wasn't getting through. Images of her father and mother flashed before her eyes. Thoughts of her loved ones, of her whole life that she lived, and the life that she could have lived, flashed in her mind. She was going to die because she wasn't strong enough. She could feel tears forming. She was going to die.

Suddenly, she felt a hand grasp hers. Trunks was holding onto her, supporting her as he flew as hard as he could to get them out of their gravitational pull. It might not have meant much to him, but to her, it felt like he just saved her life. If he had waited any longer, or if her energy would have faltered in the slightest, she would have died. She would have been lost forever. It snapped her out of her panic and she began to fly as hard as she could again. If she couldn't do it to save her own life, then she'd do it to save Trunks'. She would help them catch up to Goku.

It was as if a new channel of energy snapped awake inside of her. She suddenly felt as if she had twice as much energy. She felt alive with power, and she used it to push as hard as she could. It wasn't much compared to the pull, but it was enough so that they caught up to her grandpa. As soon as she lessened it, however, it once again seemed just out of her grasp. Whatever energy she had just tapped into was once again walled up inside her.

"Listen guys, I have an idea. Grab onto me. I'll give us an extra boost to make it to the ship!"

Trunks broke his hold with Pan and they both held onto Goku as Giru shot out a grappling hook to secure them to the ship. If Goku didn't do something now, their own ship would be pulled in as well.

"Ka…me…ha…me….HAAAAA!"

The force of his blast sent them hurtling toward the ship at full speed. They would have missed it completely if Trunks hadn't reached out and grabbed one of the ship's legs and stopped them.

They managed to pull themselves into the launching area in record time, but they weren't safe yet. As soon as Trunks locked the outer doors, he bolted to the cockpit to rev up the engines for a narrow escape.

Pan watched Trunks leave and stood there panting alongside Goku. She removed her helmet and dropped it beside the boy who was lying on the floor. Pan was shaking from fear. She had never felt that scared in her life. Nothing had ever terrified her as much as that incident that just happened. They were so close to dying. She was so close… but Trunks saved her. In her slight shock and adrenalin rush still going on in her body, she felt tears well up in her eyes again. She fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably as her body trembled. She felt Goku put his hand on her shoulder to try to calm her, but it only made her cry harder.

"Grandpa…!" She stood and nearly toppled him a tight hug, squeezing him with all her might as he hugged her back. She buried her face in his suit, choking in tears. He rubbed her back soothingly to put her at ease.

"It's over Panny. You don't have to cry. We're safe."

She sniffled into him. "I miss Papa…"

Goku smiled into her hair. "You'll see him soon. Only two more dragonballs left. Don't worry, we'll have a fun last few months on the trip. I'll make sure of that!"

She pulled away from him with a weak smile. Her eyes were puffy from tears and she tried to wipe them away with her glove. "I think…" She sniffled a few times, trying to make her sentence as clear as possible. "I think I'm going to go lie down for a bit."

"I think I'll join you. I'll let the boy take my side of the bed, though. I'll sleep on the floor."

Goku picked up the unconscious boy and followed Pan toward the bedroom. After a nice long rest, they'd make it to the Planet Vidal. There, they could get this boy a doctor and Trunks could restock some supplies. They needed this break. The planet would be peaceful, and there would be no dragonballs to worry about.

With everything looking good so far, it was hard to even fathom what could possibly go wrong.

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–_10/12/05_–


	13. I Don't Want a Needle!

Disclaimer: I feel I need to put a disclaimer before this chapter. Most of these spoken lines are taken directly from the series (although a lot of them, especially the filler scenes that I added, are my own). I own all of the DVDs, but I don't own the copyright to their lines. To avoid plagiarism, I feel it is necessary to state that Akira Toriyama and Co. own a great portion of the dialogue. I, however, own all the rest. )

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CHAPTER 13:  
I Don't Want a Needle!

The minute they arrived on the planet Vidal, the boy was taken from them on a stretcher into intensive care. Goku, Trunks and Pan decided to sit in the waiting room until they could hear some news about the boy's progress.

For the past day and a half, it was really hard taking care of him while trying to rush him to Vidal. They had tried to give the kid a sensu bean, but he was in such a deep coma, nothing was able to really help. Pan and Goku had spent the last two days on the ship worried sick about the boy, and once again, they found themselves sitting and waiting to find out if the boy would make it.

"It's been hours. I wonder how the boy is doing?" Pan cupped her face in her hands as she leaned forward in her seat, letting out a large sigh.

All of them had grown impatient. Trunks had found he couldn't handle sitting still for too long, and for the past hour, he had been pacing back and forth in front of her while Goku fidgeted nervously in his chair muttering things under his breath about hospitals.

As if on queue, a tall doctor with two chins approached the three saiyans with his hands behind his back. "Are you the ones who brought the boy in?"

Pan jumped out her seat, "Yes! How is he? Is he okay?"

"His condition was quite serious and he could have died, but our facility is number one in the galaxy and I'm proud to say that he will make a full recovery."

It was as if a huge weight was lifted off Pan's shoulders. She beamed a wide smile and covered her heart with her left hand in a sigh. "Thank you... thank you so much!"

Trunks nodded to the doctor with a smile. "It's good to hear that. We've all been worried. What a relief, eh Goku?" Trunks turned to look where the young boy had been sitting. "Huh? Where'd he go?" He looked behind him and then looked at Pan with a questioning expression and a shrug.

Pan blinked when she saw Goku had vanished. Her eyes scanned the surrounding vicinity, but he was nowhere in sight. A subtle movement under the chairs caught her attention. She leaned down to look, and Trunks followed her gaze in curiosity.

"Grandpa, is that you under there!" She was met with a moan. "What's wrong, Grandpa? Why are you hiding?"

"Look, doctors give shots. I hate shots, so I avoid doctors!"

Trunks and Pan looked at each other and broke out in laughter. Goku had an easy way of being so silly. It was a relief to laugh. After so much time worrying, it was good to think of positive thoughts. Everything was going great so far. They got to the planet quickly, and the boy was okay. In addition Goku didn't have to worry about getting his shots, no matter how scared the kid was.

Their laughter was interrupted when an explosion shook the entire hospital. Screams echoed down the corridors and great billows of black smoke emerged from one of the wards. Voices started yelling out "What happened?" "I don't know!" and "We've got massive equipment failures in intensive care!" People were running up and down the halls, calling for stretchers and medical assistance.

"Intensive care?" Pan turned around to face Trunks, "Oh no you guys, that's where the boy is!"

Someone called out from within the smoke, "People are still in there. It's too hot for us to get past the threshold of the doorway! Someone call the fire department!"

Another explosion erupted, sending flames flying from the emergency ward. Pan shielded her eyes from the heat. Trunks pushed her aside and began to run toward the flames. "Trunks, no! Wait! You'll get hurt!"

He stopped to turn around, but was still jogging in one place, keeping his legs moving. "I have to do _something_ Pan. I'm not just going to sit here while people are dying in there!"

"Go with Grandpa at least. Don't go by yourself!" Pan turned around to find Goku, but he was missing. "Grandpa? Where did you go _now_?"

"Hey you guys, look what I found!" Goku emerged from the smoke with a proud smile beaming on his face. In his hands, he carried the boy they had rescued and a nurse.

Within seconds, the entire medical staff charged toward Goku. One look at the stampede, and he dropped the two survivors in a panic, eyes going wide. He zipped as fast as he could behind Pan, gripping her as if he were about to fall off the edge of the universe and she were his only support.

An entire crowd gathered around them, praising him for his heroism. They were saying things such as "That boy is amazing!" "How did he do that!" "He saved those two!" "He's a hero!" They stood there cheering him on until the fire department came, and then they finally ended up scattering. Goku let go of Pan with trembling legs.

Pan crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she said "I hope this changes your opinions about doctors grandpa. They're on the same side as you are, didn't you see?" She opened her eyes and saw her grandfather was gone, nowhere in sight. "Huh? He's gone!"

Trunks grinned down at her. "He's more scared of them than before!"

"No!"

He reached out his hand with a friendly wink. "Bet?"

––––––––

They had searched practically everywhere for him. They looked under chairs, in all the restrooms, the lobbies... they even checked the cafeteria. No Goku. This was seriously irritating Pan. He could be such a baby sometimes, and he went way overboard about it. She grinned to herself as she checked under another cafeteria table. However strong he was, even heros like her grandpa had to have some kind of serious weakness. Thank goodness Frieza or Cell didn't figure that one out.

She looked over to Trunks, who was checking under tables at the other side of the dining hall. "Trunks, he isn't here, either!"

"Darn him and his ability to mask his ki." Trunks sat down in one of the chairs and rested his arms and head on the table, trying to think.

Pan approached Trunks and sat in the chair beside him. "Any plan B?"

"Yeah. Let's grab the best smelling food item here, put a hook in it, attach a string that leads to my right fist, and fish for Goku."

Pan smiled and leaned her head into her left hand as her elbow rested on the table. She closed her eyes and tried to think a bit. Suddenly, an epiphany came to her. She snapped her eyes open and began to laugh, "I know what we can do! Giru can find Grandpa! Why didn't I think of that before!"

"Giru?" Trunks cocked an eyebrow at her.

She removed her blue backpack and opened the lid. "Giru, you can come out now!"

The robot sprung out from the backpack with an excited flip in the air.

"Remember, Trunks, when Grandpa said he likes to keep at least one dragonball on him at all times just in case someone manages to get a hold of them?"

"Ah, you're right! Giru _can_ find Goku for us!" Trunks stood quickly and pushed his chair in with his foot.

"Giru, can you locate the dragonball that Grandpa has?"

"Giru Giru... Dragonball detected! Dragonball detected! Follow! Follow! Giru Giru!" He sped off, toward the exit.

The two ran after the robot with grins on their faces. They outsmarted Goku. Wouldn't he be surprised when he'd lose his own game of hide and go seek!

In the chase, Giru didn't stop for anything. He flew right into one of the emergency rooms and out the window. Trunks and Pan followed in quick pursuit, apologizing when they barged into and out of some person's room, flying through the window in their chase. They found themselves in a large courtyard with several large trees scattered across the property. They landed by the biggest tree of all. Giru was up in the branches, yelling something. They heard a rustle and the robot was sent spiraling down to the ground. Trunks caught it just in time and looked up, frowning.

Pan called up with her hands cupped to her mouth. "Grandpa, we found you! Stop acting so silly and come down right now!"

From the branches, they heard Goku scream out "I don't want to! They're going to give me a shot!"

Pan growled in frustration. "Grandpa stop acting so silly! They don't want to give you a shot. There's nothing wrong with you!"

"I m _not_ going back in there. I hate hospitals!"

"You're acting like a little _baby_ Grandpa! Besides," she gave a quick wink to Trunks, "they have food in there!"

Goku's next words were a shocker. "I refuse to eat any nasty hospital food!"

Trunks stood back, an incredulous look on his face. "But Goku, this is a medical planet! This planet doesn't have any restaurants. It has cafeterias. You _have_ to eat here."

"Then I'll starve to DEAAATH! Hospital food has sick germs and it tastes bad!"

Pan was getting desperate. "This hospital is different!"

Goku screamed out as he cluched the tree with all his power, "I don't care!"

With another sigh, Pan slumped her shoulders and looked defeatedly at Trunks. "What are we gonna do?"

He shrugged back, an equally anguished look on his face. "I don't know."

"Ouuuu!" Pan clenched her fists. If reasoning didn't work, she'd have to force him! She screamed up the tree, "If you don't climb right down, we'll _drag you down_!"

"Just TRY IT!"

"Alright Grandpa, you asked for it!" Pan turned to Trunks, gesturing to the tree with her left hand. "Trunks, go fetch Grandpa."

"_Me_! _You're_ the one that said you'd drag him down."

"TRUNKS, YOU GO GET HIM RIGHT NOW _OR ELSE_!"

"Woah!" Trunks took a step back, putting his arms up, "Okay, okay! I'll go." _Wow_, she was scary when she was mad. He shook his head in disbelief and then began to climb up the tree, using his ki to support him in case he lost his grip. As he ascended up the trunk, he saw Goku's leg protruding from the leaves. He reached up to grab it, but was still too far.

"Just a little further!" He heard Pan call out from below.

He climbed another half a meter and saw Goku's leg squirming as the boy also tried to climb. But Trunks was quicker than him. He grabbed Goku's ankle and held on tight. "I got him!"

"Let GO!" The leg began to kick.

Trunks slowly dragged the whining kid down from the tree. He didn't know which was worse, having to tolerate Goku's immaturity, or having to deal with Pan's wrath. It was like being between a rock and a hard place. He smiled to himself. However much he would like to complain, though, he really did enjoy his trip with them. Now, he would be able to tell his mother bedtime stories of his _own_ adventures with a little boy called Goku.

When he got his feet back on the ground, Pan took Goku's flailing arms, and both he and Pan carried him over to a grassy area with a small creek that ran through the field. It looked safe enough to drop him. They flung the saiyan onto the ground and got into fighting stances just in case he tried to escape.

However, instead of making a mad dash to cover, Goku sat up weakly and held his stomach, moaning. "Oh man... I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten anything in so long... I don't know how long I can last without some food."

Trunks eased up on his pose. "Goku, I _did_ say there is a cafeteria in the hospital."

"That's a last resort..." The boy held his stomach, which was growling like thunder. "Can't we catch any fish in this stream? I'm starving."

"Well..." Trunks fingered his bandana, looking at the moving water. "I guess we can try fishing for a little bit. That sounds like it could be fun. Pan, would you like to join us?"

"No, that's okay." Pan moved a few bangs out of her eyes. "I think I'll go exploring for a bit. I need to walk around and stretch my legs. I'm sick of being cramped in the space ship for so long." She waved to Trunks, Goku and Giru who were removing their shoes by the creek's bank and began walking toward a foresty area which was by the rehabilitation grounds.

She put her hands in her pocket and looked around at all the people that came to the medical facility. There were so many different species and races, she couldn't even count them all. Just a year ago, she never would have dreamed she'd be seeing other planets and meeting such interesting people. It was so much fun traveling to all these places. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to do it again.

She felt so much like a Saiyan on this trip, she could feel her heart swelling with pride. Her forefathers used to do this. They used to travel to different planets and meet different species. Of course, they did it under different circumstances, but they used to travel like this, nevertheless. She was one of the only Earthlings that would live to see these places for hundreds of years, and she enjoyed, more than anything, the fact that she could travel with her grandfather and Trunks. They really made a good team.

Throughout her trip, she found herself relying more and more on Trunks' friendship. She never really had a close friend before. True, he was her uncle's best friend, but at the same time, she had grown to view Trunks as her own best friend as well. Whenever she would try to get close to most guys, they'd be intimidated by her strength, or she'd somehow end up scaring them away. But not Trunks. She could be herself around him, temper and all, and he'd still smile. They went through hell and high water together, getting into and out of sticky situations, and they were able to laugh about it afterward. She just wished that everyone could be more like him.

As she walked, she found herself getting into a deeper and denser part of the small forest. She was on a trail that led through the brush. Everything was green and alive around her. She could sense positive karma all around her, making her feel at peace. She found a small clearing and sat down on the grass, enjoying the sounds around her. For several minutes, all she heard were bird calls and sounds that reminded her of crickets. A ruffle in some bushes caught her attention. She stood up, trying to sense what was there. Slowly and hesitantly, a small fawn emerged from the bush, nervously looking at her on shaking legs.

It was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. "Aww... how cute!" She stood still as it approached her, most likely trying to sense any danger. She smiled and reached out a hand to touch it, "Come here little guy." The fawn didn't resist when she began to pet him. It moved closer to her as she felt its fur. Suddenly, its cold, wet nose went up her shirt, completely violating her! "Heyyy! What are you doing!" She pushed the young deer away from her, backing up.

A calm voice startled her as it came from behind, "He thinks you're his mother. He's a little confused."

"Boy, I'll say!" She turned to face the source of the voice and saw it was the boy they had been waiting on. "Hey it's you! What are you doing out bed?"

A slight shade of pink formed on the boy's cheeks, "Well, I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but I can't stand getting shots."

Pan put her hand to her chin and looked up, smiling. "That sounds oddly similar to someone else I know..."

The boy moved closer, a crooked smile playing on his face. "Your friend, where is he anyway?"

"What? Who? Oh, you mean my Grandpa. He went fishing with Trunks." She was distracted when the fawn poked its nose in her ribs. "Heey, you naughty boy, shame on you!" She turned around with a smile and began to pet it again. "Awww, what do you want from me, you silly goose!" It loved her attention, and she absolutely loved petting it. She couldn't wait to bring it home to show Trunks.

"Hey Pan!" She looked up to see the new voice. She stood up straight and waved as she saw her two favorite people in the universe approaching.

"Hi Grandpa!"

"We were wondering where you went. We've been looking all over for you!"

"Look who _else_ is here, you guys!" He gestured to the boy, who seemed to be irritated for some reason. She shrugged it off, assuming that he didn't like crowds.

Goku waved, "Hi there! The doctor was looking for you. He said you should still be in bed." He stopped in front of the boy who was his same height. "You'd better do what he says."

Pan rolled her eyes, "Grandpa, you're one to talk, aren't you." Sometimes he could be the biggest hypocrite. She'd have to remind him about his own advice the next time a doctor told him to get his shots.

Speaking of doctors... Pan looked down the trail and saw another person approaching the group. It was the same two-chin doctor they were speaking to before was approaching them on the trail, pushing an empty wheelchair. This was becoming quite a gathering. She turned around and saw, to her dismay, that the small deer had run off. So much for show and tell.

"Oh there you are!" The doctor slowly approached with his arms behind his back. "You should be back in bed, my boy. You're not out of hot water yet."

The boy looked like he'd seen a ghost. "But I feel fine sir, honestly!"

"Now you see here, young man. You need to get more bed rest. Your condition was far more precarious than you realize, and that's that. Now get in the chair and I'll get you back to your room."

The boy looked to Pan for some support but she shook her head and smiled. He did need to get his rest. It would be for his own good. The three saiyans watched as the boy was wheeled unhappily away, down the path. Pan turned around and tried to see where the fawn had run off to in the brush.

"Well, I'm glad to see he's doing better." Trunks adjusted his shirt. "While you were out here talking with him, I managed to ask some people about parts for the ship. They say they'll be ready within a few hours. It looks like we can leave the planet without anything to worry about."

"So what do we do until we get the parts?" Pan looked toward Goku, Trunks and Giru to see if they had any ideas.

Trunks shrugged, "Just wait around, I guess. Let's get back to the courtyard in case they want to find us."

As they began walking back down the trail, a shockwave of ki stopped all three of them stopped in mid-step. It was as if an explosion of energy pounded its way into their senses. They looked at each other in disbelief. It couldn't be...

"Guys? Did you feel that?" Pan looked toward Goku.

"Yes. That was Baby. I'm sure of it!" Goku pounded his fists together. "But how did he get here! How is he still alive?"

Pan threw up her arms, "I thought we destroyed him on M2!"

"It's gone. His ki is gone." Trunks looked at Pan, concern on his face. He turned to then look at Goku, who looked concerned with a frown.

Goku began walking again, following the trail. "He's on this planet somehow, and he must be masking his ki inside someone's body. We can't leave this place until we find him and what he's after."

"I agree." Trunks nodded and sighed in thought.

"Guys! What are we going to _do_ in order to find him? He could be anywhere!"

"No, he's somewhere close. That ki was definitely close by."

Pan looked up to the sky, staring blankly as her mind worked on ideas. She glanced over to Trunks, who was scratching his head, thinking. "I say we split up or something."

"No, that won't work." Goku shook his head. "We'll need all of our power to destroy him, but we don't want to worry about anyone else getting hurt. We need to draw him out somehow."

Trunks' eyes lit up, "Yes! You're right, Goku. Let's put ourselves in vulnerable situations. If he knows that we're on this planet, he'll come after us for sure, and once he tries to attack us, we can get him."

They had left the forested area and came across a large grassy clearing. Goku moaned and stopped walking. "Ahhh, guys, before we go do that, though... Before anything... just... hold on...I really need lie down for a bit."

Pan reached back to tighten her bandana. "Is something wrong, Grandpa?" He moaned again and laid himself down on his back, spreading out on the grass. Pan and Trunks sat on either side of him, looking at each other.

"Ahh, I cant take it anymore," he moaned, clutching his stomach. "I think I'm dying, guys. If I don't get something to eat, I'll wither away."

At Goku's comment, Pan's eyes shot toward the boy, her mouth falling open. Trunks frowned, "Goku, you can't fall apart every time your stomach starts growling."

Pan blinked and looked at Trunks and Goku respectively as her grandpa moaned out, "I cant help it, my body just runs out of gas. It's been this way ever since I was born."

Pan tore at her hair in confusion. "What do you _mean_, you're hungry! I thought you guys went _fishing_. Don't tell me you didn't _catch _anything!"

"I caught dozens. Blaaah, but they tasted so _bad_, I couldn't eat them!"

Trunks' eyes grew wide at the memory and looked despairingly at Pan, "Those were some _nasty_ tasting fish. He's _not_ exaggerating."

"Don't talk about it. That was the most horrible experience _ever_!" Goku groaned as his stomach rumbled.

Pan let a smile escape and stood up. "Look, you need some immediate food therapy! Lets give the cafeteria here a chance. You can gain your strength back for later. You'll need it."

"NEVER! They'll try to give me a shot."

A laughing deep voice in front of them caught their attention, "We would never do such a thing. We could give our license for giving a healthy person an injection." It was the doctor again. The one with two chins. He sure was popping up a lot today.

Goku sat up warily, "Really? You wouldn't give me a shot if I came in to eat? Promise, because I'd rather starve than get a needle!"

The doctor smiled comfortingly, "I assure you nothing of the sort will happen." He lifted his hand as if saying a pledge, "I swear on my honor as a medical doctor."

This seemed to be enough for Goku. He stood as if rejuvenated with energy and began to hop onto each foot impatiently. "Alright, let's go! What are you waiting for! Lead the way!"

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–_10/14/05_–


	14. Baby on Board

CHAPTER 14:  
Baby on Board

Disclaimer (I hate these things): Most of this chapter is mine, however, there still is some Funimation mixed in, and most of the major plot belongs to the animation studio. I don't own that. If you've watched the whole series, you'll probably recognize some of the dialogue.

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Pan cringed and tugged at her bandana with pink hinting on her cheeks. Everyone in the whole cafeteria was staring at the three of them, wide-eyed. Even the two-chinned doctor stood in awe. Goku was on his forty-fourth plate and still going. The mountain of the plates on the table just kept on getting bigger and bigger. It just couldn't be possible. How in all the four quadrants combined could her grandpa eat so much! She looked desperately toward Trunks and saw he had a very similar look on his face.

Throughout his life, Trunks had seen Goku eat great portions that rivaled his father's stomach, but this... this was too much. Goku was just a kid and he was eating like Majin Buu with a room full of cakes. It was just disgusting watching him eat so much. He was going to make himself sick from all that, and in the end all they'd end up doing was losing a portion of their barter gems. Trunks needed to get out of there.

The doctor approached him while Goku was busy with another plate. "Trunks, you asked about our technology, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"You have a true interest don't you. Might I satisfy your fascination with a grand tour of our fine facility?"

Trunks jumped out of his seat in excitement. This was almost too good to be true. "Yeah! I mean, yes, I'd like that very much! Thank you!" He clasped his hands together, "That's what my family does back home. We invent things!" This was great! It would be the perfect escape from the cafeteria and he'd get to see all kinds of new technology in the process.

"Then it's settled. I think you'll find the technology here most intriguing." The doctor put his arms behind his back and smiled.

"No doubt! Thanks doctor, this is turning out to be a great visit!" Trunks turned to Pan, who had completely buried her face in her hands. "Pan, would you like to come along?" He had noticed that she was having a hard time remaining patient while Goku stuffed his face.

"No thanks. I have to make sure he doesn't start eating the doctors next." She sighed and looked up at Trunks with a slightly anguished frown, "But have a good time anyway." Goku mumbled something from his plate, but it was indiscernible. If he couldn't swallow to tell Trunks something, then it wasn't worth waiting to hear. He just needed to get out of there. Trunks followed the doctor to the doors of the cafeteria with a large grin and gave a thumbs-up to Pan on his way out.

Pan watched him go and turned to Goku with disgust. "Finish up, Grandpa! I don't want to be here all day!"

Goku put the plate down and wiped his mouth with his arm. "Where did he go? Did he go with that doctor somewhere!"

"Yeah, the guy said he'd give Trunks a tour of the place."

"Why would Trunks do that! Did he forget that Baby is out there somewhere? We can't split up!" Goku jammed the plate down and stood up angrily.

Pan waved her hand in dismissal. "Don't worry, Grandpa, he shouldn't be gone long. Have a little faith in the doctor. He _did_ get you all this food, you know."

"I don't trust doctors, Pan, no matter what. We're going to follow them. Something tells me that this whole situation just isn't right."

Goku began to walk toward the exit when Pan called out, "Wait, Grandpa! We need to pay!"

Pan pulled several gems from her backpack and slammed them onto the table, cursing her grandpa for being such a pig, before running after Goku, who was already out the doors.

––––––––

Trunks found himself entering a gigantic chamber filled with circuits and monitors. He had been on the tour for about ten minutes now, and every second of it was impressive. They had so much advanced technology here, it would take the Earth several hundred years to reach this sophistication. It gave Trunks all kinds of new ideas for projects he could propose to his Capsule Corp. board.

"And this is our super electron microscope," the doctor gestured to the gigantic structure that was in the center of the room. Their footsteps echoed off the walls of the large metal room.

"Wow!" Trunks said in awe, taking in all the circuits, "I like it!"

"It's quite different from other electron microscopes. I think you'll be amazed at the detail." They stopped before a lens. Please, by all means, take a look."

"Thank you." Trunks bought his eye to the lens and began to adjust the focus. He paused, taking in the beautiful sight before him. "This cant be! These electrons are enormous!" He found he was able to zoom in further. "And it's all three dimensional." This was the most amazing thing he had ever seen in his entire life. "Wow! You can move amongst the atoms as if you were in there with them. An _interactive_ microscope... This is pure genius! It's decades ahead of any microscope we've developed on Earth." He adjusted a few more buttons and found he could color code different atoms. The microscope was absolutely brilliant! "How beautiful! It's like being in a whole new universe. And my board members said this couldn't be done!" He looked up from the lens, grinning widely, "What a bunch of –"

He felt a strong hand grab his throat, squeezing hard. The doctor was grinning evilly, a possessed look in his eyes. He was beginning to laugh a high pitched shrill as Trunks struggled to break free of his grasp. "Doc... why...?"

The doctor's voice had changed. It sounded like nails scratching a chalkboard. "Because I want your power, that's why!"

Trunks' eyes widened. It couldn't be. He was such a _fool _to trust the doctor and go off by himself! And _he_ was the one that suggested they shouldn't split up! "That voice... You're not the doctor. You're Baby, but how!" He couldn't waste time. He struggled harder to break free from the grip that was cutting off his air. He felt himself getting weaker as he was having a difficult time breathing. If he couldn't break Baby's hold on him, he wouldn't have any strength to fight!

"Heeheeheehee!" Baby's face appeared on the doctor's shoulder. "You thought you could make Baby go away, but as long as one of my cells lives, I can regenerate. From there, it was simply a matter of leap-frogging from body to body until I gathered enough energy to develop into my current state. But I'm not finished yet."

It dawned on Trunks. That boy. That boy from the ship...was Baby! _Baby_ had been the one who made that attack in the distress call. It was all beginning to make sense. "What about the spaceship? What happened to all the people on board!"

"HeeheeheeHeeHEE, well, they became "Baby food" so to speak. But at least they all died for a worthy and historic purpose."

"You fiend! How could you do such a thing!"

"Heeheehee, if you really want to know, I'll show you first hand!"

Baby's body dematerialized and became a liquid. Trunks stared wide-eyed at the mass heading for his face. He was so stupid! He should never have gone off alone. This was all his fault!

A ki blast to Trunks' face hit Baby and made the parasite recoil in shock, landing on the ground. Trunks grabbed his neck, gasping air. He looked to the doorway to see his rescuer. Goku stood there in a fighting stance, next to Pan. They had followed him. There were no words that could have expressed how grateful Trunks was at that moment. Goku never ceased to amaze him.

"You shouldn't have picked a doctor to hide in. I'm naturally on guard against them as it is!" Goku readied another ki blast and aimed it for the stunned parasite on the ground.

"How did you know!" Baby stood, wide-eyed. "How did you know I was alive!"

"We were able to sense your energy, Baby!" Goku grinned in his battle stance. "This time, you aren't going to get away! You spared _no one_ on that ship! Not even the children!"

Pan prepared a yellow ki blast and aimed it toward Dr. Myuu's creation. While Baby stood there, taking it all in, Trunks moved behind him and created a powerful blue ki blast with one hand. "This all ends here, Baby. Your body-snatching days are over."

"No! Never! It will not end like this! NOOOOOOO!" Baby began to scream and power up. All the energies of the people he killed were emitted around him in a giant pink ball of power. As Baby screamed, the ball of energy got larger and larger, pushing against Goku, Trunks and Pan. It was too fast for them to make a move to escape. It exploded, causing the three of them to be thrown backwards. Pan and Goku were tossed to the floor, singed from the heat as Trunks flew toward a sharp edge of machinery, slicing his right arm.

It all seemed to happen at once. As Trunks was trying to sit up, Baby dematerialized into a liquid again and pounced on his prey, wrapping himself around Trunks' wound as he stared in shock.

"Oh no!" Pan sat up and reached toward Trunks. Goku sprang to his feet, but Baby was faster. The liquid pried its way into the cut, entering Trunks' system as his mouth was open and his eyes opened wide.

"We blew it!" Goku saw Trunks' head roll back in a scream. Trunks' entire body was trembling. Goku could do nothing but watch. It was too late.

As quickly as Trunks threw his head back, he began emitting a dangerous chuckle. His shoulders shook as he began to laugh louder, and brought his head down to grin at Goku. His eyes were wild and crazed, fire blazing in them as his face contorted into a distorted smile that went up half his face, baring fangs.

That was _not_ Trunks.

The impostor laughed in a shrill and piercing sound, his voiced touched by madness, "I've never felt anything like this before. This is the saiyan power I desire!"

Goku's expressions turned to shock. He took a battle stance and pointed at Baby. "Hey! Get out of him _right now_!"

The thing that looked like Trunks flung his arms before him and threw his energy into a powerful blue ki blast that knocked the wind out of Goku, sending him flying toward the wall.

Goku caught himself and readied a counter attack. _Nobody_ had the right to mess with his friends' bodies. "Alright that does it! Get out of my his body this instant or I'll _blast_ you out!" He would teach Baby a lesson once and for all. "Ka...me..."

"Grandpa, wait! What do you think you're doing! If you hit him with that blast, he'll die!"

What should he do? What _could_ he do? He couldn't just stand there and watch Baby control Trunks' body, but at the same time, he couldn't attack Trunks without risking killing him. As the impostor began to attack Goku, all the saiyan could do was take the blows and stall.

Without Trunks, their trip would be a failure. The entire planet was depending on them. All Goku could do was hope... This was a battle that Trunks had to fight alone. If Goku did anything out of place, he might never see his friend again.

––––––––

He felt Baby enter his cut like ice cold mercury. All at once, it spread everywhere in his system, freezing him inside, numbing his body of all feeling. His stomach pained him as if a thousand icycles were trying to pierce their way out. A thick pressure formed like a cold putty, growing inside his head. His whole body felt it was slipping away, losing its function. He felt like he was dying, buried under several hundred feet of smothering snow, filling him, trapping him. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. He couldn't function. He thought he was aware of a scream. Perhaps it was his own voice, or it could have been another. His vision faltered. Everything turned black. It was as if he were floating in a void, caught in a limbo... an endless nightmare.

He couldn't think. Nothing could come to his mind except the fact that he was so alone and so cold. It was like a dark chamber without walls, without end. A space without stars. Voices began to make their way through, echoing around his prison. _Hey! Get out of him right now!_ There was no way out. There was nothing. He was simply an awareness, a phantom, a spirit of what used to be but no longer was. There was no time here. There was no thought or space. There was no escape. _Alright, that does it! Get out of my friend's body this instant, or I'll blast you out! _He was simply, an essence, a shadow of a fading figure. Nothing more. The void wrapped around him like a dark blanket, draining him, swallowing him.

Something happened. He couldn't tell what. It was as if a small lighthouse was flickering in the blackness. But the light had nothing to hit. He had no form, no body, no soul. But it came as a feeling. Something was there. A beacon. He could not move, but it felt as if it were coming closer. A glimmer of warmth in this dark place. If he had a hand, he would have reached out to touch it. It was so close. _Grandpa, wait! What do you think you're doing! If you hit him with that blast, he'll die!_ That was it... that voice. The light and the voice... It had a face.

He could almost sense the light getting brighter. Something moved. Although he couldn't see it, he could sense it. It was a film that began to play in his mind. Perhaps it was supposed to be a memory. He couldn't grasp it. His entire being was so numb, all he could do was imagine what the film could be about.

He felt as if there were two people in the film. They stood with expressions on their faces. He could not tell the colors of their hair, but they were perhaps similar. The film went on. It showed a planet. He thought he knew it, but he wasn't sure. It was suddenly gone in an explosion. Everyone on it died.

An emotion came to him. He wasn't sure which one. He needed to get out of here. It felt as if that film had an open ending that he could prevent. He needed to save that planet, whatever it was. It needed him. Someone else needed him.

An image formed. A woman... with light hair. Who was she? Another woman, younger, but it could have been the same woman. A man with ... dark, no, black... black hair. It was a struggle to think, to make out colors. _I'll try to hit him in a way so that he stays alive!_

Another man, younger... with black hair. A boy... a girl... The movie continued to play. He saw that boy from his thoughts on the ground. He was looking on from above, looking at the terror on his face. The look of ... sadness. He was aware of a young girl crying. Another emotion came to him, but he wasn't sure which one. Her mouth moved, _Don't do it, Trunks!_ That name. He remembered now. His name was Trunks. That was ...Pan. The boy before him was Goku. They needed him more than ever right now. He couldn't give up! He had to fight!

He saw the bright ball of light before him. The beacon. He threw himself at it and felt its searing heat envelop his numb body. He was stepping through some kind of ring, an entrance, or an exit. Light surrounded him. The movie took form. It became real. He was there, with a ki blast in his hand, about to kill Goku. He was laughing maniacally at the boy. He heard his voice say "Not even you can block this blast from point-blanc range!" His entire body was swarming with hatred.

He concentrated every thought he had, every last bit of energy he could muster up, and threw the ki blast to the side. It blew the entire wall away. He had to focus. He had to do this. He couldn't lose, or everyone would die.

He felt his body say, "Ahh! What happened!"

_I happened, Baby! _The thoughts were forced, but he made it clear. He was prying a hole open through the void. He would go down fighting!

"What? No! You shouldn't be able to talk! I should have complete control of this body, its mind and all of its functions!" He felt his arms patting his body, seeing if it was real, or still there. He didn't know if he was controlling them of if it was Baby. He focused all his concentration, every mental thought into a scream that laboriously erupted from his own mouth.

"This is _my body_! You get out of here _right now_! Get out!"

Goku stood up, eyes wide. "He's doing it!"

He charged up as high as he could. It was the only thing he could think of. He would give his entire life energy to this. He would _die_ before he would let that parasite control his body! The whole world counted on this. His family needed his help. All those he loved needed him. He felt the ring on his left finger burning through his glove. He had to do this... if he didn't... Baby would kill Goku... and then he would kill Pan... _Pan would_ _die_!

"GET OUT OF MY BODY!" He let everything loose. Everything he ever held in, held back. He released a world-shattering scream as his entire life, all his energy and spirit, poured through him like a raging river. Everything was hot, his body burning from the inside. His hair went gold, his eyes went teal.

"That's it, Trunks! Don't give in! You can do it!""

It was as if a dam exploded. Electric blue light swarmed him, crackling with heat. Erupted fire flew from his body, melting the circuits, exploding wires in a tremendous light show. Lightning crackled and hit metal. Sparks flew everywhere. Everything came out of him. All his anguish, his fears, his love, his hatred. He would go down with everything he had!

He felt the cold liquid burst through his wound and shoot out, tearing his body in half with the pain. His energy cut short. Baby was gone. He faltered in the air a bit then collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe.

"He did it!" Pan jumped and hugged Goku from happiness.

"Alright Trunks, let's finish this!" Goku readied a Kamehameha with every intent on destroying Baby.

The parasite backed up a few feet, realizing he did not have enough power to control a Super Saiyan. "NOOOOOO!" Baby released a light so bright, it blinded all three saiyans as the parasite ran for his life, tearing through the vent in a desperate attempt to escape.

"Oh no! He's getting away!" Goku tried to chase after him by following his ki, but crashed into the wall. Baby was escaping and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

As Goku started pounding the wall in anger, Trunks lay there coughing for air. He felt exhausted, as if his body would give out at any second. Pan was by his side, helping him sit up. It was strange getting adjusted to his own body again, however weak it was. He was grateful, though. He had never appreciated life as much as he did at moment, realizing what it was like to have it completely stripped from you, where even death could have been preferable to what he had just had to endure.

For the moment, everything seemed like it was going to be okay. His breathing began to become more regular; his heart beat began to slow down. The feeling shattered when he felt his body began to shudder. A tremendous quake erupted from inside him, immobilizing him in a seizure. What was going on!

Pan saw Trunks losing control and began shaking his shoulders. "Trunks? Are you okay? Are you okay, Trunks! Answer me! What's wrong!"

He felt Pan roll him onto his back and her hand on his forehead. He felt like he was going to be sick. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on breathing. Everything seemed so hot, he felt like he was being smothered.

"Grandpa! Trunks is burning up and he's shaking. What should I do!"

Goku leaned his head against the wall for a moment and then turned around to face his granddaughter. He walked toward them and focused on Trunks, who was convulsing on the ground. "It must be some kind of after-shock. Let's take him to the hospital wing? I'll carry the doctor, here." Goku walked to the unconscious two-chin man and kicked the huge microscrope in anger. "I can't believe we let Baby get away!"

Pan leaned over Trunks and ran a hand through his hair as his shuddering began to ease a bit. "Do you think you can walk, or should I carry you?"

"I'll..." He gasped, "be fine. I'm fine." He tried his best to shake his head slowly, "Don't worry about me" His body went through another small fit and then, as fast as it had come, it ended.

The tremors were gone, the heat vanished. It was as if it had never happened at all, like it was some terrible nightmare along with the rest of what just happened with Baby.

Trunks sat up weakly with Pan's support. "What... what just happened?"

Pan shook her head, "I don't know..." She suddenly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, digging her face into his neck, a slight sob threatening to overcome her voice. "I thought... I thought we lost you." Her sharp intakes of breath conveyed that she was holding back tears. "Please... please tell me you're going to be okay..."

He smiled weakly to her and hugged her tightly, saying softly in her ear. "I'm going to be okay."

She squeezed him again, and then let go as she stood up. She reached out a hand to help him up as well, but he found his knees were too unstable for him to stand on his own. She let him lean on her for support and walked slowly with him while Goku lead the way, carrying the doctor toward the emergency ward.

As they made their way down the hall, Pan looked up at Trunks, who had a distant look on his face. "Hey Trunks?"

He looked down on her, his face showing a soft smile, but his eyes revealing his fatigue.

"What was it like to have Baby inside you like that?"

"I..." Trunks looked down and hesitated a long time as they walked. Pan looked up to his face and saw he had tears he was trying his best to hide.

"You don't have to tell me. I'm sorry, forget I asked..."

"It was..." he shook his head, closing his eyes as he leaned his weight on her shoulder. "I can't..." He looked up and swallowed, trying to find words. "It was... the most horrible experience ever." He turned his head away with a hand covering his eyes.

Pan stopped in mid-step and embraced Trunks again. He was still in shock. That should have never had to happen to him. She should have followed more closely behind Trunks and that doctor. She felt as if she could have prevented it somehow, some way. He was still suffering.

She felt him pull her close to him, and felt his hand running through her hair. Under his breath, she heard him say in her ear, "Something saved me, Pan. I truly believe it had to do with you."

She pulled away slightly and looked at him. "What do you mean? Me? I didn't do anything."

He kissed her forehead and put his hand on her cheek. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her eyes were wide as her cheeks flushed.

He just smiled sadly down at her as she was at a loss for words. Perhaps he could tell her later. It wouldn't be so hard to talk about it then. Perhaps... he could ask her if her own ring had been burning at the time. He looked down to his left hand. The white light that found him in the void...

"Hey you two, go get a room! No kissing in the hallways!" Goku stood several meters away from them, a grin on his face as he looked at Trunks and his granddaughter. Trunks felt his own cheeks flush a bit. He realized Goku had a point. It was easy to interpret their position that way, considering how close they were holding each other.

Pan sprang back, pushing Trunks off of her as she crossed her arms in a huff. Trunks staggered back, finding he lost his support, and his weak legs gave way as he fell to the ground. They both avoided each other's gaze, completely embarrassed by Goku's teasing.

"I'll leave you two alone for a bit, then." Goku's grin grew into a large smile as he turned on a time and walked away, carrying the doctor over his shoulder.

"Grandpa, wait! Ouuu!" Pan stomped angrily and sharply reached a hand out to Trunks, still looking away from him. "Come on, get up. Let's get out of here."

"Yeah..." He took her hand as support as he did his best to stand. "I believe it's about time we left this planet. Parts or no parts, I've had enough adventures to keep me satisfied for a lifetime, and I could do with some peace and quiet for a bit. I really don't need to go to the emergency ward. I just need... a little rest... That would be nice right about now..."

"Alright, I'm going to get you back to the ship, then. Giru? Giru, you can come out now! The danger is gone." She smiled as she glanced behind her.

Trunks heard a few bleeps coming from Pan's backpack. A probe poked out. "Giru Giru!"

"Giru, find Grandpa and tell him we'll be waiting at the ship. If he doesn't come right away, tell him I'm threatening to cook only vegetarian meals from now on." Pan grinned at Trunks, "That will get him to run!"

"Oh oh!" Trunks grinned back at Pan. "How about this one. This will really get him!" He beamed innocently toward the robot, "Giru, tell Goku that a doctor is looking for him, saying he's needs an immunization shot. And _then_ tell him we're waiting at the ship." Pan gasped and clapped her hands happily as he gave her a wink. "We'll be off in record time!"

––––––––

––––––––

_–10/14/05–_


	15. Definetely Not an Aftershock

CHAPTER 15:  
Definetely Not an Aftershock

"Just hold still!"

"I'm trying! But you keep on shaking those scissors and I _know_ you're going to mess up."

"If you _held still_, I'd be able to cut it right."

Trunks closed his eyes and quickly sighed in resignation. Goku stood in the bathroom doorway with his arms crossed, looking smugly at the demi-saiyan in the chair. "Hey Trunks, I can cut your hair if you like."

"Grandpa, just get out of here, you're making Trunks nervous."

"Aww, that's mean." Goku's eyebrows went up in a slight frown. "I thought he could use some moral support."

"It's not like I haven't done this before, you know," Pan moved to stand beside Trunks and took his wet bangs in her left hand, measuring them with her fingers.

Trunks moved his hands to his lap, and looked in the mirror. "The only thing that makes me nervous are when your hands shake, that's all."

"My hands are only shaking because you're putting me under so much pressure to get it _perfect_." She brought the scissors up and clipped off a centimeter of his hair. "_I _say you should just grow it out. It might look good on you."

"She's right, Trunks. I've seen that look on you before, and it looked pretty stylish."

Pan took another lock of hair in her hands and measured it out. She glanced over to Goku with an eyebrow raised. "When did you see him with long hair before? I don't remember that."

Trunks grimaced, his eyes looking down to his lap. "He's not talking about _me_, Pan."

She brought the scissors up and snipped. She grinned as she picked up a comb and began to run it through his hair. There was only one other person that her grandpa could be talking about, and Pan had a very good inkling of who is was. "Ah, I get it now! You don't want to grow your hair out because then you'll look like Mirai! Am I right?"

"Just concentrate on my hair."

"You knew _full well_ that this year away from Earth, you could have let your hair grow out just like his, and you're _purposely_ making me cut your hair so nobody compares you to him. I get it."

Goku knocked a few times on the door frame, looking deep in thought. "Hey Pan, after you're finished with Trunks, can you give me a hair trim too?"

"What do you think I am! _Your personal hair slave_? No way! You're keeping your hairdo."

"Aww, but Pan..."

Trunks looked in the mirror to see the young boy standing there. "While you're standing there, Goku, could you call in Giru? I want to ask him how far we are from the next dragonball."

"Sure thing." Goku turned and left the doorway calling out for Giru. Pan snipped off another clip and ran her fingers through his wet hair. Trunks sighed and looked in the mirror again, watching Pan as she concentrated on getting it straight.

A few moments passed in silence except for the scissors snipping. Trunks closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind of all thoughts.

He was tired. He had not slept well the past week, tossing and turning with nightmares, mostly flashbacks of what happened on the planet Vidal. He could not help but wonder what Baby had truly been after, and why he seemed to have an interest in Saiyan power.

He could not bring himself to imagine what would have happened if he could not have overcome Baby's possession of his body. He would have died in more ways than one. Goku would have been forced to kill him, or he could have killed Goku, and in the process would have lost the only person who could have knocked some sense into Baby.

Or worse, Baby could have possessed Goku. Trunks tried not to imagine it, to push the image back in his mind. He needed to meditate and clear his thoughts.

"So, Trunks, what are you going to do when we get back home?" Pan continued to comb and snip, pausing every other few moments to check if it was straight. It was a good change of topic. He had been beginning to feel a little sick with worry about what could have been.

"I don't know. I guess I'll be going back to work." At the thought of being imprisoned in his office again, forced to read file upon file of status reports, contract proposals, stock quotes, and not to mention organize meetings and conferences and proposals, Trunks felt his vision blur a little bit. He hated his job with a passion. "I hope to retire soon, though."

"Retire!" Pan paused in mid-combing. "How old are you? 28! And you're talking about retiring?"

"I don't intend to do it right away. I decided to wait until I'm at least 30." Trunks clasped his hands that were on his lap and took a deep breath. "I will have more than enough money to fall back on, free time to work on my own projects, and, well, maybe I can start planning a family."

A voice chimed, "A family!"

Pan and Trunks turned around to see Goku beaming in the doorway, holding Giru in his hands. "Oh wow guys, already talking about a family. I'm proud of you two. You guys will make wonderful parents."

Pan turned a shade of blue as her eyes opened wide in surprise. Her gaping mouth twitched a little bit and her stiff hands opened and closed as if trying to find support that could be there. She then closed her eyes and put her arms straight down to her side. With an angry growl and a vein protruding from her forehead, she said in an unstable voice, "Would you please stop teasing us already? I've had enough of it!" She trust a finger out to point accusingly at Goku, "He wasn't talking about _me_!"

"Actually, Pan, I _was_ talking about you. I can't wait till we have kids."

Pan choked a little bit as her eyes grew even wider. She stepped back and stared speechless at the grinning demi-saiyan before her. His grin was a little too wide. She found her breath again when she realized he was holding back laughter, his eyes squinting from trying to keep them serious while his cheeks and eyebrows quivered in humor.

Pan opened and closed her fists, glaring with her eyes narrowed toward Trunks. She was thinking of where best to punch him and send him crashing into the wall. "You think you're so _funny_! All you're doing is giving Grandpa _ideas_."

"Oh come on, it was just a joke." Trunks turned back to sit properly in his chair, his laughing eyes still glued on her from the mirror. "You had a really classic expression on your face. You only get that when you're taken completely by surprise. I just couldn't lose that opportunity!"

"Sometimes, Trunks, I seriously think you're a bigger _baby_ than Grandpa, you're so immature sometimes."

Trunks' smile vanished and his eyes opened slightly wider. The sick feeling returned to his stomach. He ached as if he had venom coursing through him, and gripped the sides of the chair as if it were threatening to throw him off. He threw his head down, his eyes flashing red for a brief moment, his body trembling.

"Hey Trunks, are you okay?" Goku released his hold of Giru and ran up to grab Trunks' right arm, looking in his eyes. Pan dropped her scissors in surprise of Trunks' relapse and gripped his shoulders, calling his name.

"Trunks! Trunks, answer me!"

"Danger! Danger!" Giru hovered in the doorway, flinging his limbs out in a panic.

"Grandpa, what's wrong with him!"

Goku put his hand to Trunks' forehead and jerked it back. "He's really hot. We should have him lie down."

"N-no... I'm f-fine, really." Trunks' breaths were deep and forced. "I need a h-haircut more than I need a nap, believe me."

"I'm not buying it. Your haircut is done, anyway. I was only being picky." Pan stood back and motioned Trunks to stand up. "You're sick, and you need to lie down."

Trunks leaned forward, his head down, his eyes closed, still gripping the sides of the chair, panting hard. "I...don't need to."

"Well, you're going to!" Pan crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out.

"I said NO, you little BRAT!" Trunks stood up and threw the chair again the wall, splintering it into fragments. He looked up with glowing red eyes, a twisted scowl on his face.

"T-Trunks!"

"Danger! Danger! Giru, Giru!"

"Stand back, Pan, that isn't Trunks." Goku moved to stand in between Trunks and Pan.

"What's going on!" Pan clasped her face in her hands, backing up against the wall. "What's _happening!_"

Trunks gave a distorted grimace and flung his right hand out, wrapping it around Goku's neck, "You stay out of this, little boy." He flung him into the wall, aside the broken chair, cracking the tile. Trunks progressed over to the trembling girl, a haunted evil expression on his face. "You think a _baby_ like me needs to have a _nap time_? I'll show you a _nap_ you'll never forget!" He threw both his hands out and began to form a blue ki blast, aimed at her face.

"Trunks! _Stop_!" Her eyes grew wider, tears forming as the blast got bigger in his hands. It was barely inches away. She was pinned against the wall, her voice faltering, unable to do anything to block the blast.

In one moment, the energy ball collected before her face, the light from it blinding her. She could hear a yell and a snap from behind it, and suddenly, the ball was gone as Trunks crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Goku stood there, his hand still protruding out where he hit Trunks on the neck. "Are you okay?"

Pan found herself still clawing the bathroom wall, short of breath, her heart racing. Everything had passed so fast, it seemed unreal. One moment, Trunks had been laughing and teasing, and the next, he was out for the kill.

"That," Goku pointed to the demi-saiyan, "was _no_ aftershock."

"Do you think he's going to be okay...?" Pan clutched her heart, catching her breath. She looked at Trunks on the ground. His face was so peaceful. She couldn't bear but think about the internal struggle he must be facing right now. _Something_ just happened to him, but what?

"I don't know, but he definitely needs to rest." Goku picked up Trunks' limp form and hoisted him over his shoulder. "It's a little too soon to blame it on a mid-life crisis, eh?"

Goku walked out the bathroom door and into the bedroom. He lay the unconscious demi-saiyan, wet hair and all, onto his side, the far side, of the bunk. He stood looking at him for a minute, and looked to Pan, who had followed him in. "Should we tie him up?"

"Tying him up will only get him angry. He might explode again..." She sniffled slightly, shaking her head. "I don't ever want that to happen to him... ever again..." She could feel a sob threatening to surface.

"That wasn't Trunks." Goku shook his head. "There was a disturbance in his ki."

"Do you think it could be Baby?"

"No, Baby escaped. We both saw him go, but..." Goku looked back at Trunks, "he got this way after you called him a 'baby.' This may have something to do with that parasite after all."

"What should we do?"

Goku looked at Pan again, his eyebrows down in thought. "You stay here and watch him. If anything out of the ordinary happens, I want you to call out for me. I'll be in the cockpit with Giru."

Pan nodded as her grandpa left with the robot. She walked to the wall and turned off the light. Slowly, she walked over to the bed and sat on its edge, watching Trunks sleep. Everything seemed so calm.

Time passed and Trunks still was dreaming. He hadn't slept this well in an entire week. He would sometimes wake both Goku and herself up in screams from his nightmares, but when they would shake him awake, he couldn't remember a thing. But here he was, sleeping peacefully for the first time. It scared her that he could sleep so well after a panic that he caused not too long ago, but it eased her as well. She would have been more concerned if he were tossing and turning in his dreams. She wanted to reach out and run her fingers through his damp hair to let him know that everything would be okay, but was too afraid that she'd wake him.

More time passed. It must have been several hours since the incident. Pan was beginning to feel tired, but wasn't sure if she should climb up to her bunk. He might sneak out while she would be completely oblivious, in a deep sleep above his bed.

She'd have to block him in just in case he tried to leave. She laid her head down on her grandpa's pillow and continued to watch Trunks. If he tried to climb over her, it would definitely wake her up. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, pushing all her concern to the back of her mind as she took several deep breaths. It wasn't long until she, herself, fell asleep.

––––––––

Goku had had enough of this. He was bored stiff and couldn't figure out how to play that dumb colored block game, whatever its name was, on Trunks' handheld game device. Giru was sitting on the dashboard on standby mode. All he could do was lie back and watch the stars and hope that some sign of either of the two remaining dragonballs would pop up. He reached into his pocket and unpacked the four-star dragonball that he always kept by his side. He tossed it up and down in an attempt to humor himself, but realized he could juggle it for only so long before he lost his interest and got bored again.

A loud growl reverberated in the cockpit. Goku moaned and rubbed his stomach. "I'm so hungry..." He weakly sat up from the pilot's chair and began walking to the bedroom. He'd ask Pan to make him some dinner while he'd take over her shift. The thought of food made his stomach rumble again. He could really go for some pasta.

He slowly opened the bedroom door and saw that the lights were out. He tiptoed in and squinted his eyes to get a better look of the situation. He grinned mischievously when he saw that Pan had fallen asleep beside Trunks, lying on her side facing him.

_Oh, this is too good!_ He crept as silently as he could over to the couple and gently lifted Pan's arm to wrap around Trunks. She moved a little bit, tightening her grip around Trunks' waist as she took a deep breath and then lay still again. Goku beamed down on the two, his grin stretching from one cheek to the other, his eyes lighted at the thoughts of playing matchmaker. They were so cute when they slept like that.

_Now where is that camera...?_ It was somewhere in the lounge. He'd have to grab it quickly before the two woke up. It was just a perfect situation for them. After he'd snap a picture as a memento, he'd wake them up and _voila_, he'd have dinner and a show as Trunks and his granddaughter would fall madly in love in front of him!

He smiled to himself. He was such a genius.

And if worse came to worse, if Trunks were still in that weird angry mode, he'd just have to knock him out again. It seemed pretty simple. And, in either case, he'd get his dinner. He smiled even wider. This was the perfect plan!

He reached the doorway and slowly and silently closed the door, holding his breath so as not to wake them up. The door shut with a little click . He found himself in the hallway with his hands on his hips looking quite smug.

––––––––

A small click entered into her mind. She was in a light sleep, completely relaxed. She was so warm, holding something. Her faint dreams pictured the click as a door closing. Images of home painted themselves in her mind. She was so happy she'd be able to save them. All of her friends would be okay because of her, everyone including her grandpa and Trunks. Something had been wrong with him, but she couldn't place what. "Ahh..." She subconsciously stretched her body, feeling it beginning to wake up. Something was blocking her left arm from stretching. She weakly dropped it and moaned softly, opening her eyes tiredly.

She somehow was next to Trunks, he was still sleeping. "Mmm..." she gave an inaudible moan and felt her body slowly beginning to gain back feeling. Her eyes shot open wide when she realized she had her arm around him. _How did that happen!_ She tried her best to gently lift her arm without disturbing him. She knew if he had woken up before her and saw her arm like that, he would have completely gotten the wrong idea! How could she possibly have explained that one!

"Don't..." Trunks moaned something under his breath, "What... what are you doing?" His breath began to quicken, his eyes tightly shut, his body slightly trembling.

Pan froze her arm, unsure whether lifting it any more would awaken him, or if he was already awake. If he were still asleep, it would have meant he was having nightmares and flashbacks again. That wasn't good, but it made her so relieved to know that the _real_ Trunks was dreaming something.

"No...no..NO!..." He turned away from her, clutching his pillow. Her hand was still suspended in the air, over where he used to be. She retracted it and sat up in bed, watching him. "Dad... don't..." He clutched his pillow tighter, releasing a sob, "don't go..."

"Trunks?" She reached out to touch him. "Trunks?"

He shot up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. He was looking straight ahead, his hair, now dry, disheveled and tangled. His arms were tensed, his eyes wild, his voice trembling, "It was... a nightmare..."

"What was it about?" Pan reached out to touch his face. He jerked back in reflex and turned to look at her.

"I don't..." He brought his hand up to his forehead. "I don't remember. But it was different from my other nightmares lately."

"You were calling out for your father to stop doing something and to not go."

"Did I?" He tried to run his fingers through his hair, but found he couldn't. It was too knotted up at the moment.

At that, the door burst open and Goku jumped in with a camera, "Say 'Dende'!" A blinding flash of light cast the whole room in a white hue. Pan and Trunks stared stupidly, with their mouths hanging open at the boy. That _didn't_ just happen...

"Uh oh, you guys are awake!" Goku gave an embarrassed smile, with all teeth showing, while his left arm reached behind him and scratched his head. "I guess that makes this an awkward moment..."

"_What_ do you think you're _doing_, Grandpa!" Pan shot out of bed, arms straight at her sides, her balled fists itching to get a knock at his face. "Give me that camera _RIGHT NOW!"_

"Oh come on, Pan, it was just a picture of you two in bed together. You weren't doing anything!" Goku hid the camera behind his back as Pan approached him a slow rage.

"How did _you_ know I was in the bed with him! You came in, saw me with my arm around him, and left to get your camera, didn't you!"

"You were awake!"

"You had your arm around me?"

"Just SHUT UP, both of you!" Pan pointed to Goku. "Grandpa, if you don't give me that camera right now, I'm going to make you so miserable, you're going to WISH you would have _starved to death!_"

"Ack!" Goku turned a shade of green.

Trunks smirked a little bit, "Goku, I suggest giving her the camera. If you don't, she'll probably cook another one of those 'stews', Kami help us."

"No!" Goku stuck his tongue out at her.

"GIRU!" Pan pulled at her hair. "GIRU come in here RIGHT NOW!"

"Giru! Giru Giru!" The robot rushed into the bedroom at light speed, hoving before her. "Pan called?"

"Eat that camera. Now."

"He tried it before. It won't work." Goku held the camera in front of him, waving it around to tease the robot.

"Trunks, you grab Grandpa."

"Hey, I'm not getting involved." Trunks shook his head with a smile.

"Fine then, I'm going to go grab a needle from the first aid kid."

"Noooooo!" Goku's eyes bugged out and he froze in terror. The camera dropped from his grip as he staggered back at the thought.

Giru snatched the small box and ate it in a matter of milliseconds.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Goku flung himself toward the robot with claws outstretched. "Give that back!"

"Poor Goku, he's traumatized." Trunks leaned back in the bed, smiling at the whole event taking place. Goku had grabbed Giru and was shaking him wildly, turning him upside-down and waiting for the camera to fall out.

"Dr-a-gon-ball... de-tec-ted!" Giru was flailing his arms wildly.

"You spit that thing out right this instant!"

Trunks sat forward in bed, "Goku, stop shaking him. I think he has something to say."

Goku dropped Giru and stood towering over him, emitting a deadly glare.

"Dragonball detected?" Giru seemed to be asking it in question form, cowering under Goku's figure. Although the boy was small, he was gigantic compared to the small robot. "Dragonball! Dragonball detected!"

Trunks got out of bed and straightened his shirt, "How far away is this dragonball?"

"Ten minutes, Giru Giru!"

"WHAT?" Trunks spread his arms wide in surprise. "How long have I been out!" He brought his left wrist up to look at his watch.

"I don't know, several hours I assume." Pan tilted her head to the side to watch Trunks.

"I have to go land this ship! You two, get ready for entering the atmosphere!" He bolted out the door, cursing them for not waking him up sooner.

When Trunks was gone, Pan smirked at her defeated grandpa for moment, and walked out of the room casually with Giru. _Serves him right. _She smiled at her own remarkable brilliance, looking back to see her grandpa still standing there alone.

Goku's shoulders slumped with the realization that he'd lost this battle. All the _best _candid moments of the trip were on that camera. Stupid robot...

––––––––

Trunks was the last one out of the ship, holding Giru. Pan clicked the remote and locked the spacecraft. She packed it in her backpack next to the four dragonballs she always carried around.

They were on a forested planet with blue skies, green fields, and oceans that spanned great distances. It looked very much like Earth and gave Pan a pang of homesickness. They had landed on a cliff that overlooked a large lake surrounded by trees.

"Okay guys, let's start walking. It isn't too far from here." Trunks began walking toward the cliff, followed by Pan and Goku, who was looking around at all the plants curiously. As they reached the edge, they looked down and saw that, although ground was not too far down, the cliff was too steep to walk. The trio took to the air, flying down the slope, and landed on a grassy clearing that ran along the bank of the large body of water.

The robot began bleeping with great intensity. Trunks studied the dragon radar built into the back of Giru, then looked at Pan. "Looks like the dragonball is somewhere in this lake."

"Really! Wow, that was a quick search..."

"You guys wait here and leave the swimming part up to me!" Goku flexed his young muscles and dove into the water.

Pan crossed her arms, "Well I'm glad he was willing to go, because I'm in no mood to get my hair wet." She patted her dry hair and winked at Trunks.

He grinned slightly at her, but frowned when her smile vanished and Trunks heard something loud behind him. Pan's eyes grew large and he spun around to see a gigantic tidal wave come out of nowhere, about to crash on them. "Pan, watch out!" The water pounded on them as they yelled in surprise. Everything was tossed and thrown under the weight of the entire lake landing on them.

When the water receded, Trunks realized that they were both soaked to the bone and shivering from the cold. The look on Pan's face was classic, her hair and bandana dripping, and her clothes soggy. He couldn't resist it, the rumble in his chest, growing louder and louder, "HehehahahaHAHAHAHA!" He pointed at her and fell to the ground.

"It's not _that_ funny, Trunks." She said, a small smile making its way to her face. She turned around with her arms crossed, facing away from him any the lake. "It was just grandpa doing a ki blast underwater and going overboard." She huffed.

His laughter ebbed and his eyes widened as he saw something she didn't. "Um... are you sure about that?"

"Why wouldn't I be sure?" She turned around to look at him, but found her eyes wandering to what was emerging from the center lake. "What? What is that thing!"

Giru was bleeping wildly and Trunks grabbed him, turning him over to look at the radar. "It seems like the reaction is emanating from inside that gigantic lizard, Goku! Wow, look at the size of that thing!"

Goku suddenly sprung up from the water, causing another massive wave of shock to ripple through the lake. Trunks grabbed Giru and Pan and flew up to avoid the next wave. They watched Goku fly up to the dragon's mouth and start prying its teeth open. As Trunks let Pan go, she flew closer, over the lake, shouting and waving her hands.

"Grandpa, get down!"

The boy held the lizard's teeth apart triumphantly, as if he had been lifting weights. "That should do it!"

Before either Pan or Trunks could move, Goku jumped into the lizard's mouth and vanished.

Trunks' eyes went wide, "Whaaa! Goku are you CRAZY!"

"Gimme back my Grandpa, you creep! Spit him out!" Pan flew up and started punching the lizard in the stomach. "Spit him out _now_!"

The lizard began to whine in short shrieking sounds. It threw its head back as if in agonizing pain. Pan flew back and watched the beast clutch its stomach. Pan did a flip in the air, "Good! I knew I'd give you indigestion! Now spit him out!"

Trunks could see something trying to emerge from the belly of the lizard, punching it from the inside. It looked like Goku was having a hard time getting through its tough skin. The figure inside the beast's belly began to fly outward, stretching the lizard's skin and causing it to shriek in pain again.

A loud _POP!_ sent Goku sprawling out of the lizard's belly along with a heavy airstream of gas.

"Oh... oh _man NO!_" Pan gagged and flew toward the bank as fast as she could. "That's... the most disgusting smell _ever_..."

Trunks suddenly smelled it. He had once smelled spoiled milk, curdling out in ninety-eight degree weather. It was once in his entire life that he had to endure that horrible smell. This was worse by _far_. It was as if rotten meat and eggs were mixed into the batter. He was doing all he could not to throw up. He covered his nose and mouth with his hand and found his ki faltering.

He felt Goku grab him and help lower him to the ground. Goku smelled just as bad. He felt so weak when he touched the ground, he couldn't balance himself.

"Goku..." Trunks fell on his knees, finding it hard to breathe. "I need... a gas mask..."

"Oh shape up, you'll get used to it. If you think this is bad, you should have smelled that thing's breath."

It suddenly struck Trunks that this entire situation was hilarious. Here he was, practically dying from a smell when he had endured far worse threats to his life before. He wondered how his father would react to this situation. He just tried to picture a look of disgust on his father's face. It was just too funny.

Trunks began to laugh out loud, earning a worried glance from Goku as he checked on Pan, who was sprawled on the ground as if playing dead. This was such a classic moment. "Hahaha, at times like these, Goku, I really did wish we had a camera. Too bad it was destroyed! Hahahaha."

Giru spun around and said in a happy tone, "Giru still can take picture, Giru, Giru!"

"What!" Goku's eyes brightened.

"Camera has fused with Giru. Giru can take picture if you like."

"Ohhh! Yeah! Haha! Go ahead, Giru."

"No wait!" Giru's sensory eye flashed and with a _Click!_ caught a distraught Trunks reaching out in desperation. "Oh man, I wasn't serious when I said that..." Crap! Now Goku had his camera back, and it was in the one mechanical device they could not destroy!

"Don't tell me _Giru _can take pictures now..." Pan sat up weakly with her hand covering her mouth.

Trunks found he was either getting used to the air, or the smell was going away. He felt his energy coming back to him and looked over to Pan, who seemed to be recuperating as well. It would be good to walk around and stretch.

He stood up and looked back at the lake. _That's strange_... He slowly walked over to the bank where a teeny version of the gigantic lizard was coming ashore. "Hey guys, look at this. The lizard shrunk!"

He bent over, picked up the whimpering reptile and brought it back to show Goku and Pan. He dropped it on the ground and grinned at the thing.

Pan's eyes grew wide in surprise. "That thing is the cutest little lizard I've ever seen!" She beamed a smile and got down on all fours to get a closer look at it. "Aww... look, it's hurt." Pan took off her backpack and found a band-aid to patch the hole in the lizard's stomach. "I'm really sorry. My grandpa didn't mean to hurt you."

"He sure was a little stinker, wasn't he?" Goku peered at the thing as if trying to convince himself that the lizard was the same gigantic beast from before. Trunks grinned at Goku and Pan and they all broke out into laughter.

A beeping sound interrupted them and they all instantaneously looked at Giru, however, the robot was not emitting the sound. Trunks looked down to his wrist and found that his watch was the source of the sound. He looked at it more closely, pressing a few buttons with a knotted brow.

"Is everything okay, Trunks?" Goku stood and walked over behind him to look over his shoulder.

"Sure is." Trunks brought his eyes up to look at Pan, a large smile on his face. "Happy Birthday, Pan."

"It's my birthday? Really!"

Goku beamed at his granddaughter. "Here's a birthday present. I hope you like it!" He tossed his newly acquired dragonball to Pan. She caught it and held it up with a smile.

"Three-stars! Wow, the best birthday present ever! Thanks!" She grinned widely and put it into her backpack. "One more to go and then we're all set!"

Trunks stood and put his arms around each of the other's shoulders. "Hey you two, let's go back to the ship and celebrate. It's not every day Pan gets to turn fifteen."

They walked back, each sporting elated smiles.

––––––––

"Yes! One more! Haha!"

They were in the lounge area which was redecorated with balloons and ribbons. Pan was in her Mexican sombrero, dancing with maracas in front of Giru, who was holding a video camera. Spanish merengue music was blasting throughout the ship. Everyone seemed to be in a light mood. There was much cause to celebrate.

Pan had told them to each wear something silly, so Trunks decided on donning a red party hat with white polka dots while Goku decided to sport eyeglasses with a large nose and mustache. They _did_ look absolutely ridiculous, but it put them all in good moods.

Trunks sat before the meal that he cooked for them. Although it was Pan's turn that evening, he decided to cook a feast by himself as her birthday present. He even made a cake for her. It took several hours, while the other two were setting up, but he was darn pleased with his work. He wondered how his mother would react when she found out he cooked better than her nowadays.

He smiled as he took a bite from the roasted chicken. It was rotisseried just right. He was so proud. "All right! Just one more to go!" He took another delicious bite. Perhaps it was too good. He might actually spoil them.

He looked over to the young saiyan and saw that he wasn't eating anything. That was definitely unlike him. "Why are you looking so glum, Goku? Is something on your mind?"

"Only what happened earlier. It brought my thoughts back to..." Goku chose his words carefully, "a certain parasite."

Pan looked over with a concerned expression on her face. "Grandpa, are you sure you want to bring this up now?"

"What are you talking about?" Trunks took another bite of the chicken and frowned a bit toward Pan and Goku, his gaze moving from one to the other.

The two of them looked at each other a second, then back at Trunks. Pan took off her sombrero. "You don't remember it?"

Trunks swallowed his bite and blinked, "Remember what?"

There was a heavy silence. Trunks felt it weigh on the party. The merengue was playing all around that ship, but right in that spot, everything seemed to just stop.

"Is there something you two know about that I should also, you know, maybe, perhaps hear?"

Goku looked to Pan, "Yes, I agree, we should talk about it later. I'm sorry to bring it up now. It's my fault."

"Tell me right now! What are you two going on about? What happened?"

Goku took a chicken leg and bit into it, his eyes going wide. "Oh wow, Trunks, this is delicious! You're a natural at this."

"What don't I remember?" Trunks stood up and crossed his arms.

Pan took a slice of the cake, stuffing her mouth. "Ohh wow hish ish goob."

He slammed his fists onto the table, rattling all the food. "Are you two going to tell me or what!"

Goku swallowed his bite. "You uh... you snapped last night."

Trunks frowned. "When was this?"

"During your haircut."

"I got a haircut?" He brought his hands to his head and began to probe its length. "Oh yeah, that's right. I don't remember it very well. What happened?"

"You went crazy and attacked Pan after she called you something."

"Called me what?"

"The name of an infant child."

"A baby?" Goku and Pan took a sharp intake of air when he said the word. He looked at them, slightly confused. "You mean like the name of that parasite guy?"

"You're not affected by the word!"

"What?" Trunks shook his head in disbelief. "Are you sure you two didn't imagine something? If I went nuts, I should at least remember part of it, wouldn't you think?"

Pan pointed to one of the doors that lead to the lounge. "Check out the bathroom if you want proof."

Trunks hesitated a moment, then sat back down, putting his arms on the table with a concerned frown. "What do you think caused it, Goku?"

"I'm not sure. It might have been a one time thing, or stress" Goku glanced to Pan and back to Trunks, "or maybe your body couldn't handle him inside you and ended up splitting your personality or something." He pushed his plate away from him and looked Trunks in the eyes. "All I know is that your ki changed a lot. It wasn't you."

Trunks threw up his arms, "Even when Baby was inside of me, I remember _everything_ that happened. _This_ makes no sense! I don't remember a thing!"

"Listen, guys," Pan interrupted them by handing them each a maraca. "Let's worry about that later. You're forgiven for everything, Trunks, and if it happens again, I'll _still_ forgive you. So stop worrying and have fun!" She put her sombrero back on and grabbed another slice of cake. "Think positive thoughts! Soon we'll be able to go home, save the Earth, and live out our days as heros!"

Goku shook his head a bit. "I have a bad feeling... I wonder where Baby could be right now. I was positive he would come after us, but he hasn't." He looked at Trunks' facial reaction. "I'm wondering if we really got rid of him or if he's hiding somewhere while we get comfortable."_ I'm also wondering if there could be any way Baby could monitor us through Trunks... but that would be impossible..._

Pan began to dance again in front of Giru's video camera. "Stop worrying. He put up his best fight, but we won. It's _that simple_." She began to sing along to the words, trying to phonetically pronounce the Spanish without having any idea if she was singing the words right or not.

Goku shook his head again and looked at Trunks, "But maybe too simple."

––––––––

––––––––

_–10/16/05–_


	16. Giru Gets a Checkup

CHAPTER 16:  
Giru Gets a Checkup

Giru squirmed in Trunks' hands as he tried lay the robot down on the mechanical table in the launching area, but it was hard because it kept bleeping wildly and thrashing its limbs in every direction. "Just calm down, Giru! It's only a checkup!"

"-giru giru-! Giru no want open, -giru giru-!"

Trunks secured him down onto the table and with his other hand, tied duct tape around Giru's round white frame.

"-giru giru-! Danger! Danger! -giru giru-!"

"Honestly, Giru, you're just as bad as Goku getting a shot." Trunks made sure the frantic robot was secured tightly in place then reached into the cabinet and pulled out a pair of white surgical gloves. After making sure they were on comfortably, he switched on the overhead light and picked up a small screwdriver. He carefully began to turn some of the knobs that held Giru's outer shell together. "Don't worry, I just want to get a look inside you and make sure you're okay, that's all."

For the past two weeks, the robot had been malfunctioning, giving false alarms of danger when around Trunks. At first, it scared the life out of all three of them, but after Giru started becoming the 'boy who cried wolf,' Trunks decided to make sure one of his circuits hadn't blown. If something were wrong with the robot, there could be a small chance of another circuit going off and damaging the dragon radar. Knowing their luck for getting into trouble when searching for dragonballs, Trunks felt the need to take some action.

"Giru, stop moving or else I'm going to have to shut you down!" After a few terrified "giru"s, the white robot went limp, trembling a little bit as Trunks removed its outer shell Trunks' eyes went wide when he saw the internal circuits of the robot. He had never seen them before, and it was fascinating to see the masterwork of Dr. Myuu in front of his eyes. He felt like how his mother must have felt when working with Android 16 so many years ago when he was just a baby. It was just sheer brilliance to look upon this new mechanical design.

"Alright then... now to find your danger sensor..." Trunks took a plastic pick from his toolbox and began to part the wires gently to get a better look inside.

The robot still trembled below him, quietly muttering under its sensors, "danger...danger..."

As he searched, he began to notice several interesting patterns to the wires and their directions. They all lead to the circuits in the center which Trunks found to be in perfect condition, meaning that they weren't the cause for Giru's malfunction. Without having the designs for Giru in front of him, finding the true source of the problem would take a while and they didn't have that time to spare at the moment.

Trunks thought of an alternate way of getting Giru to quiet down, and began to search through the wires again. There were all kinds of small boxes, computer chips, several tiny motherboards and daughterboards, adaptors, converters and... "Aha, here it is. I think I found it." Trunks parted the wires a little more and turned the overhead light brighter so he could get a better look. He picked up his screwdriver and began to lightly tap an internal red box. "Does that hurt at all, Giru?"

"-giru giru-..."

"Alright then, just a little tweak..." Trunks turned the knob slightly clockwise. The robot let out a little bleeping whine followed by a twitch of its limbs. Trunks paused and brought his tool back to the table. The robot lied unmoving under the light. "How are you feeling, Giru?"

"Giiiirruuu..." The little robot tried to stretch out its right arm desperately toward the screwdriver.

Trunks shifted the tool away from him with a small smile. "Tell me, Giru, is there any danger that you sense?"

"No danger..."

"Really? Are you telling the truth, Giru? No danger at all? Not even in the slightest?"

"No danger, -giru giru-..."

"Great! You're good to go, my friend. Let me just put your shell back on and –" Something caught his eye in the corner of Giru's frame. Using his small pick, he separated the wires and found something dark and cylindrical among them. He smiled and checked to see if the item was removable by tracing the wires that led from it to Giru's hard drive. It seemed okay; it didn't connect to any important memory chips. He pulled it out effortlessly and held it in front of the robot. "Giru, do you mind if I take this? I think I'd like to develop it if that's okay."

"-giru giru-"

It was amazing. Ever since the robot had eaten that camera two weeks ago, Trunks had completely forgotten about it. He smiled, thinking of what he could do with the film. He decided to keep it a secret that he had it. It would be a nice if he could surprise Pan with a scrapbook of memories. It would make a nice gift someday, assuming all the pictures turned out. They could really get some good laughs from some of them.

He slid the cylinder into his pocket then picked up the section of Giru's shell that he had removed and slid it into place. "Now, Giru, if this hurts you at all, tell me, okay?"

"No danger... No danger, -giru giru-."

Trunks secured the frame back in place, tightening the bolts as much as he could without actually damaging the robot. He pulled the duct tape off of Giru and stood back with his arms crossed and a proud look on his face. "You're free to go."

The small robot bleeped once and scuttled out of the launching area as quickly as its hover gear could go. Trunks put his tools away, threw his surgical gloves in the waste bin and turned off the lights to the room. As he entered the hallway, he noticed several screams and loud laughter came from the lounge. He could hear Goku shouting "That's not fair! You cheated!" followed by Pan, "I did not. I beat you fair and square!" Trunks smiled and shook his head with a relaxed sigh. Those two were up to their video games again. He had to admit, though, it was easy for them to get bored when stuck in the ship for weeks on end.

He walked past the gaming area and entered his usual spot, sitting in the pilot's seat. While they were up to playing and partying, he had a lot on his mind that he had to work out, including calculating their next rest stop. The water pressure was getting low and he'd have to restock some fuel soon.

He pressed several buttons on the dashboard and opened up the coordinate chart on the monitor. It read that there were nine planets within a week's journey, three of which were habitable, two which had advanced technology. He pressed more buttons to locate the distances between the planets. The two advanced ones were in the same solar system. It looked like they wouldn't have much choice but to go in that direction.

Trunks leaned back in his chair and put his arms behind his head, closing his eyes. One more dragonball to go, a month and a half to get back home. They were really cutting it close. If it weren't for the Parapara brothers and the incident on M2, they'd have had an extra few weeks to spare. They could do it, though. All they needed was an easy seventh dragonball. No more people turning into dolls, no more ruthless tycoons or parasites, and most _definitely_ no more marriages.

He and Pan had avoided that subject ever since they left Kikaru. It was awkward bringing it up, so he never did; plus, talking about it really served no purpose. It was a huge joke that ended up not being so funny. However, although it was never mentioned, it was still hard to completely push it out of his mind. Every time he looked at his bare left hand, that ring served as a reminder of that stupid, embarrassing day when he had to wear that dress. Pan still had hers as a souvenir hanging up in her closet, but he had returned his to those people, whatever their names were... he couldn't remember.

He wondered what would happen when they would return to Earth, if he and Pan would grow apart. It most likely would happen, with his job and all. He didn't have time for any leisure nowadays. Plus, she would be a year behind in her schoolwork and her parents would most likely force her to study to make up for all the time she lost. She most definitely wasn't making any effort to catch up on her work when up in space, that's for sure.

"Hey there, Trunks, what's up?"

He turned around in his chair to see Pan entering the cockpit. "Hi." He watched her take a seat in her chair to the left side of him. She followed his example by kicking up her feet and lying back in her chair.

"Grandpa may be good on the battlefield, but when he tries to play a martial arts game, he's severely lacking in the department. Even _you_ are a better gamer than him."

"I heard you guys. I take it you won."

"Hah, yeah, only fifteen times! Fifteen in a row, yeah!" She made a punch in the air and turned it into a thumbs-up before letting it drop to her side. Trunks silently continued to look out into space. She turned to him and raised an eyebrow, "So what have you been up to?"

"I fixed Giru." Trunk's couldn't stop a yawn from escaping him. He covered his mouth with his right hand and then turned his head to face Pan. "Other than that, I've been just sitting here."

"Doing anything in particular?"

He turned his head to look back into space. "Thinking."

"Thinking? You, think? Oh wow, Trunks, that's a first." Pan grinned and reached over to gently punch him on the shoulder. He looked at her again with a confused expression. "Aww, you know I'm just teasing! You _always_ seem to be in here, _thinking_. What do you think about?"

"Mostly home, I guess."

"What about home?" Pan turned her head to face the stars and shifted her feet a bit on the dashboard.

"Well, for one, how your parents are going to make you hit the books when you get back, since you're behind on studying for your university entrance exam."

"That's a long way off."

"Not too long, and you have a lot of stuff to learn. You'll never make it into college if you don't ace that test."

Pan turned to Trunks, grinning. "What did _you_ score on it?"

"High." Trunks closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"Come on, out of 800 points, how 'high' was your score?"

Trunks turned his head to look at her again. "It doesn't matter how I did. I got into Orange Star University, and so I went. Simple as that."

"I bet you never studied for it, did you?"

Trunks smiled a bit. He would never tell her.

"Well, I'm not going to study for it either." Pan sat forward a bit and adjusted her bandana. "We'll see if I do well or not, but I really could care less."

Trunks propped his head forward with his left elbow against the seat and smiled at her. "You know, Pan, I think your parents might have other plans for you."

"They might, but I've already decided I'm not going to college." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

"What? You're not?" Trunks laughed and sat up, "What do you intend to do with your life?"

"I'm going to take over my Gramps' dojo. Or start one of my own. I already talked about it with him and he said he'll give me the money to start my own school once I turn 18." Pan smiled as she imagined all the fun she'd have there. "What did you think I'd do? Have a desk job like you and get out of shape? No way." She sat up and flexed her right arm, making a muscle and grinning. "I'm the granddaughter of _both _world champions and I'm going to carry on the family tradition."

Trunks put his hands on his knees, and sighed, looking down. "I'm glad you've figured out your future. I wish I could have had the same say..."

"Hey you guys!" Trunks looked behind him as Goku came bounding into the small room holding Giru. "Hey Trunks! I thought you might be interested in hearing that Giru found another dragonball!"

"Another one? Really? It's about time!" Trunks took the robot from Goku and turned it over, looking at the dragon radar. "Two weeks away. Wow, I'm amazed that Giru was able to pick it up at such a long distance! That's great!"

Pan fingered the bandana around her neck and looked down at Giru. "It must be because we have the other six dragonballs already. They might be making the other pulsate more because of their gathered energy."

"Could be." Trunks turned in his chair and began typing things into the coordinate screen. "It seems that our next pit stop will only detain us a few days from our destination. Let's see here... I wonder if there's any information about the planet it landed on..."

As Trunks was plugging in coordinates and markers, Pan took Giru in her hands and gave him a squeeze. "Aww, Giru! I can't believe you did it! You found the last dragonball! After this we can go home!"

Goku tapped Pan on the shoulder, "Alright Pan, I think I got it now. I was supposed to press 'back' then the B button for my ultimate attack, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I want to play you again! I finally figured it out, and I _know_ I can beat you this time."

"Just you _try_ Grandpa!" Pan jumped out of her seat and marched toward the door.

Trunks called out to them, still looking at the screen and typing, "Hey guys, before you go. I found some information on the planet the dragonball is on, and it isn't pretty."

Goku and Pan turned to look quizzically at him.

"It says here that the planet is in the process of having a severe ice age. All life forms have died from the extreme cold."

Goku smiled happily and leaned against the doorframe. "That's no problem. I can handle extreme cold."

"It says that the average daytime temperature of the planet is 269 degrees below zero. If you can handle that, I'd be surprised." Trunks looked up from the screen to smile at Goku. "I know my science, and I can most professionally tell you that _air_ itself _liquefies_ at –270." Trunks shook his head in disbelief. "Let's hope for a heat wave, or else expect to get wet."

"Can't we just wear our space suits?" Pan crossed her arms and frowned.

"I'm afraid that's not an option. There's a lot of ice on the planet and most probably violent winds. If anything begins to freeze on the suit, or if the suit freezes by itself, you're going to get stuck there." Trunks looked back at the monitor. "I suggest that we buy some heavy jackets at our next stop. We should be able to reach a planet with technology in about a week."

"A week!" Goku's shoulders slumped. "What are we gonna do until then? I'm so bored."

"Well, for one, I can kick your butt again as Gramps."

"That's not fair, he's your best character!"

Trunks shook his head in confusion. "What? Gramps? You mean _Hercule _is in that game!"

Goku laughed, "Yeah, what would a martial arts game be without Mr. Satan as a character?"

"You know what," Trunks chuckled to himself under his breath and stood up from his chair, "I really should have figured that. I mean, considering he's in _every single_ high school text book, all the magazines, billboards and, well, everywhere else, it's practically a given that he'd be in that game, too."

"My Gramps rocks," Pan laughed and put her arm around Goku, "but Grandpa should really be the one in all those games. Grandpa Goku versus Gramps. That'd be the day. I wonder who would win?"

"Oh come on, it wouldn't even be a fair fight." Trunks suddenly cracked a large grin, "Considering _I_ was able to beat Hercule when I was _eight_, I am quite sure that _Goku _could knock him out by just _sneezing _on him!"

Trunks and Goku burst into roaring laughter at the memory.

"I remember that! You had just won the junior division championship and you were supposed to fight Mr. Satan in an exhibition match!" Goku wiped a tear from his eye in his struggle to breathe.

"You beat my Gramps up?" Pan's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Trunks.

He continued to laugh, bent over and gasping for air, "Hahahaha, I didn't even _mean _to! He told me to _lightly_ punch his face because it was some tradition or something, and I sent him _flying_! HAHAHA!"

As the two saiyans doubled over and fell onto the floor, Pan's eyebrows knotted and she crossed her arms, tapping her foot. "I don't get what's so funny."

Trunks reached up and grabbed the arm of his chair. "Sorry Pan. Hehe... ah, that was great." He smiled at Goku, "Too bad we found out about Buu that day."

"That's right! That was the one day I was allowed to return to Earth. I remember that." Goku stood up, chuckling slightly and trying to breathe deeply to calm himself.

"So Grandpa, are we gonna play or what?"

"Yeah! I'm playing. Trunks, do you want to join us?"

Trunks smiled and shook his head. "No, I'll stay here and man the ship. Have a fun time, you two. And Pan, try not to go overboard with Hercule. You know that they make him out to be a lot stronger in that game than in real life."

"Aww... alright. Grandpa, I'll go easy on you this _one_ time." Pan grabbed Giru, taking him under her arm and turned to walk toward the door.

Trunks smiled as he watched them leave the room. He stood there for a moment and then sat back down in his trusty chair. He leaned back and kicked his feet onto the dashboard. Gazing at the stars, he found his thoughts once again wandering toward home.

––––––––

––––––––

_–10/19/04–_


	17. Look at all the Bulmas!

CHAPTER 17:  
Look at all the Bulmas!

The Capsule Corp. spaceship finally docked on the landing pad after having endured a long wait for authorization. Apparently, since they were the first ship from Earth to ever come to the planet Ladrone, some paperwork had to be filed, and in the process, Trunks, Pan and Goku were forced to sit patiently until they were given permission to land. Once the ship touched ground, it hummed for several moments and then the engines were shut off. Several humanoid mechanics were running around in gray lab coats, securing the ship and checking its gear. With a hiss, the lower portion of the ship opened and the ladder descended.

Pan didn't even bother to wait for the ladder to touch the cement. She jumped down with Giru in her hands and started jumping for joy. "Finally! Fresh air! Giru, we made it!" She danced in small circles with the robot, swinging him around with her. It felt so good to be in a large open area again. She didn't know how much longer she could handled being cramped up with Trunks and her Grandpa. They had their fun moments sometimes, but after a while, they just seemed to be irritating. The first thing she was going to do when on this planet was buy a different game console. They had to have some kinds of new games that she could play. Trunks _did_ say that this planet was the most advanced and highly populated of the two in this particular solar system. They even had landing pads for their ship! If they had this level of technology, they had to have new games. Or books. Or magazines. Or something! Pan couldn't handle the boredom anymore. They were going to have to endure an entire extra week and a half just tracking down the seventh dragonball.

She heard feet hit the ground behind her and turned to see Trunks wearing his blue bandana over his typical black long-sleeved shirt tucked into khaki shorts. Pan's backpack rested on his right shoulder as he carried the remote in his hand. Pan sighed, shaking her head. He had several other outfits, including that cute jean jacket that he hid in his closet, yet he still tried to look as conservative as he possibly could get. She wondered if he always was this way. It was hard to believe that Vegeta's son could be so reserved all the time. Sure, he stayed out of trouble that way on Earth, but if he were to continue to be like that, he'd find that his life was severely lacking adventure. Especially after this trip, Pan could not imagine Trunks finding any happiness, even remotely, with a desk job again.

She saw Trunks walk over to one of the mechanics and start chatting with her, moving his hands in gestures that indicated that he was trying to explain something. The woman nodded her head and took down some notes. Her hair was a greenish blue that reminded her a lot of Trunks' mother. On a second glance, she noticed that almost all of the mechanics had that color hair. She blinked at all the Bulmas. How bizarre.

"Hey Pan, what's on your mind?" She heard a voice beside her and turned to see Goku smiling widely. "I can take a guess!" He leaned over, cupped a hand to her ear and whispered gleefully, "I saw you staring at Trunks."

"Grandpa!" Pan's eyes grew wide as her face flushed. "I… I was not!" She looked away in embarrassment. "I was looking at his outfit, that's all." Already, he was beginning to tease her. He did it every day in some way. It was so incredibly irritating, she didn't know how much longer she could contain her temper.

"His outfit?" Goku looked over to Trunks with an eyebrow raised in thought. He brought a finger to his chin, "Yes, I see your point. He does wear the same thing every day doesn't he?" Goku beamed and brought his hands down to dust his gi. "Then again, I'm not much better, and neither are you."

"I wear this when we go out because it's the _only_ outfit from Earth that I brought with me! I'm not about to wear things like that hideous pink dress out in public. If I had other clothes that looked good on me, I'd wear them."

Goku nodded, "If I had other clothes, I'd wear them too, but Chi Chi seemed to think that I needed twenty of the same outfit. She did the same thing when I left for Namek. Twenty of the same outfit." He smiled wider, completely oblivious to Pan's rising ki, "But I'm not complaining. It gives me less to worry about when it comes time for the laundry."

Pan narrowed her eyes, feeling a vein protrude in her temple as she tried to bottle in her anger, "Grandpa, you don't even do your own laundry. You hand me your clothes and expect me to slave over them."

He laughed happily and clapped his hands, "Yup! And I know you'll never mess up."

"Augh," Pan's hand smacked her forehead and tried to pry off her face. "That's it. That's the final straw!" She tore her hand away to point at Goku, her face an angry mass of fangs, "I will _not_ cook for you for an entire _WEEK_, you got that, Grandpa!"

His eyes shot open wide with guilt, "What did _I_ do!"

"Ever since Trunks and I had to get married back on that moon, whatever its name was, all you've been doing is harping and teasing us about it. In addition, you had that stupid camera that you thought was the funniest thing in the world, and all it did was capture me with my claws out, ready to strangle you, every single time. And through all this, you expected me to cook for you, clean for you, do the dishes and sweep the floors, and above all, do your sweaty dirty laundry!" Pan stomped the ground, shaking the entire landing bay. "If Uncle Goten would have come on this trip, you would have been completely hopeless! You two are slobs and you would have driven Trunks _nuts_!" She threw her hands up and raised her ki, "And here I am, taking all of this, smiling through this while you embarrass me time and again in front of Trunks, thinking what you're doing is funny. You don't do ANYTHING productive. You've never worked a day in your life to support yourself. How does _Grandma put_ _UP WITH YOU_!"

She felt something suddenly ram into her, throwing her against a wall, strong hands pinning her shoulders. "Hey! Stop it Pan, you're going to wreck this entire area! If you're going to release your ki, throw it upward into space or something. Don't just shake the whole planet!" Trunks glared down at her, his hair tousled.

She realized he was right. The world was trembling around them. She lowered her power and tried to relax. She looked around and saw that all the mechanics were either hiding under work tables, or gripping something stable.

"I….I'm sorry." Pan looked down from Trunks' scowl and concentrated on her feet. "I went a little overboard." A moment passed as her eyebrows twitched. She angrily brought her eyes back to Trunks' and pushed him off of her. "But it's all Grandpa's fault!"

"Is not!"

"Woah, you two. What's wrong? I've never seen you fight before." Trunks' eyes glanced back and forth between the two. "What happened that started this?"

Goku frowned sadly, "I don't know. She kinda went ballistic after I mentioned that I had twenty of the same outfit, and now she's not going to cook for a week."

"What! Did you miss my _entire_ point!" Pan turned and banged her head on the wall, cracking it in several places while she released an anguished and frustrated wail.

Trunks' concern was replaced with a smile as he turned to the distraught girl. "Don't worry about his wardrobe, Pan. We're going to be buying some new and warmer outfits while we're here. Speaking of which," Trunks reached into his backpack and pulled out a money purse, "I am going to split the barter gems between the three of us. Whatever you don't spend, we'll return to the pile. I want to make sure we all have enough money to buy everything we need for this final stop before getting the dragonball. Then, we're going to head straight back to Earth. I don't expect too many detours along the way, if any. I don't want to get caught in any more crazy adventures while we're trying to race home."

"What? Are you telling me we aren't going to be stopping for the entire last month on the ship!" Pan's jaw flew down as she stared at Trunks in disbelief. She felt him drop something into her hands, but it seemed to distant to her as she felt a lump in her throat. An entire month of being cooped up in that ship again.

She might as well enjoy her time on this planet while she had the opportunity. That included shopping for new video games and anything else that could entertain her. "Okay then, let's go. I want to get out of here and explore!" Pan took Trunks' arm and began dragging him across several docks.

"Wait, wait Pan!" Trunks' resistance brought her to an impatient stop. "You're forgetting about Giru!"

"Giru?" Pan looked around and saw that the robot was missing. "Where did he go?"

"He went back inside the ship screaming something about 'Pan' and 'danger' right as I was closing the hatch and now he's stuck inside the ship. I was going to go back and get him. Don't you think we should bring him along?"

"That crazy 'bot can fend for himself."

Trunks jerked his arm away. "You're forgetting something, Pan. That 'bot' is our dragon radar. If anything happens to him, you know what that would entail."

Goku turned to the older saiyan, "I'll get him, Trunks. You go on ahead with Pan and do whatever you like. I'll catch up to you guys in a little bit. There is something I want to do first."

"Are you sure, Goku?" Trunks looked toward Goku with a slightly confused expression. "Alright then, just don't get into trouble." Trunks handed the Goku the backpack and watched as the boy flew toward the ship. He turned to Pan, "So what now?"

She clapped her hands and thought of all the wonderful possibilities of where to go. Where to start? She smiled toward Trunks and closed hey eyes, beaming "Souvenirs!"

––––––––

The marketplace in the middle of downtown was crowded with people and vendors. Although the air was relatively cool, the streets were steaming from all the body heat. It was the second time they had seen anything that remotely looked like this, and that was at the beginning of the trip, on the planet Imegga, almost a year ago. It was nice to be in the middle of a bazaar again with money in her pockets. Pan felt like a child in a candy store. This planet was absolutely perfect.

Trunks was leading Pan through the crowd with a hand grasped on her arm. They had almost gotten separated several times and he was making sure not to lose her again. The marketplace was loud and various sources of music were blasting over the noise, creating a cacophony of sounds. It was hard to hear individual voices over the mass of people and the shouting vendors.

Trunks turned to look at Pan, "I feel claustrophobic."

"What?"

"I said I feel claustrophobic! Let's head into one of the clothing stores!"

"But I haven't found any good souvenirs yet!"

"Once we buy some jackets, I promise I will treat you to any souvenir you like, okay?"

They wandered their way through the people and past several vendors and spotted a store that looked promising. They entered a glass door that led into a brightly lit clothing warehouse. Pan noticed that all the shirts were solid colors. She was half expecting some weird array of outfits, but was only slightly disappointed when she saw she could actually wear some of these things out in public. This planet reminded her greatly of Earth. With its blue skies, crowded cities, Bulma clones and technology, it made her think of how much she missed her family back home. It made her happy to know the trip was only going to take one more month.

"Look! Over there, those are perfect." Trunks pointed to the corner of the store where sweaters and jackets lined the walls. He meandered his way through the aisles and came before several winter coats of solid colors. Trunks took a larger blue coat off the rack and put it on, covering his head with the white fur hood. "I kind of like this one. It is the same color as my bandana."

Pan huffed and pulled out a smaller red coat that matched her shirt. "Who cares how it looks? All solid colors are good. If it fits, then wear it." She inspected the coat and held it up, "So how does this look?"

Trunks laughed, "You are such a hypocrite, Pan. I can't believe you can just go and contradict yourself within two sentences." Trunks smiled as he watched Pan try on the smaller version of his apparel. "You're so funny sometimes."

"Sometimes? I'm always funny! I would get worried if you ever took me seriously for a change." Pan grinned and stuck her tongue out at Trunks, smoothing out her coat.

An older woman approached them through the aisles, wearing a red uniform. They turned to look at her as she smiled, "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Oh, uh, no, it's okay." Trunks began to remove his coat, instantly feeling shy in front of the employee. He hated when people came up to ask him that. It made him feel so self-conscious. "We're just, uh, trying to find new coats."

"Would you like me to help you pick out a proper size?"

"No!" Trunks waved his hands, "No, it's okay, we can handle it." He felt his cheeks flush.

"Well, if you have any questions, I'll be at the cash register." She gave a slight bow and headed back to the front of the store.

Pan turned to him with a sheepish grin, "You got nervous in front of her, didn't you? You were practically stuttering!"

"No, it's not that. It's just that I hate shopping, and talking to employees just embarrasses me." He looked at the woman walking off. "I usually would be caught dead in a clothing store. I absolutely refuse to ever go to the mall with my mother or Bra." He turned to her, a glint in his eye. "It wasn't as if you were the most talkative person either, Pan."

"I had nothing to say."

"Sure you didn't. 'Oh, how does this look'?" He mimicked Pan, holding the coat up and batting his eyes.

She lightly punched him in the gut. "Don't make fun of me!"

Trunks laughed as he stepped back, "Alright, alright!" He turned to look at the coats again. "Do you think we should get something for Goku, too, since we're here?"

Pan crossed her arms and looked to the ceiling. "He said he'd handle himself, so I'll let him do just that. I'm not about to go worry about him." She began to tap her foot and frowned toward Trunks. "Why do you think he wanted to separate from us, anyway? I find that a little strange."

Trunks had moved on to looking at several piles of sweaters. Trunks held a blue sweater up and turned around to face her, "Don't you get it, Pan? He was trying to get us to go off alone. I don't care, though. I'm actually kind of glad that he decided not to come. It gives us a break from his teasing." He laid the blue sweater on top of coat on his arm and began shuffling through the pile again.

"Well, as long as Baby isn't on this planet, I think I can trust him alone. It just scares me what he could be getting into right now." Pan scratched her cheek with her left index finger. "I bet he's probably eating something right now, knowing him."

They both chuckled to themselves as Trunks held up a red sweater. "Does this look okay for you? I suggest you help me pick out some more sweaters. We're going to really need to layer up."

Pan groaned and stepped up beside Trunks, looking at the different color sweaters. "They all look the same to me." She was itching to get back outside. They had spent far too long in this store, and she absolutely detested shopping. "Let's just grab ten for each of us and go. I have to get out of this place."

"Sounds good to me."

As Pan picked out ten of the first colors she could get her hands on, she noticed Trunks pick out every single blue sweater and throw them onto his arm pile. "You know, Trunks, let's hope the gems cover all of this."

There were three people working behind the counter, two women and one male. One of the women was elderly woman from before, wearing a vivacious smile that seemed to make her appear more youthful. The other was very pretty and resembled Bra, wearing a tight red dress. The man stood behind, leaning against the wall and not saying anything.

The mature woman gave them an acknowledging nod, "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

Trunks and Pan dumped her mountain of clothes onto the counter. Trunks looked around the pile, "Actually, hand warmers would be really nice, if you have them."

"Oh my!" The younger woman put her hand in front of her mouth. "Going someplace cold, I imagine?"

"Yeah, we are." Trunks nodded as he watched the elder lady take some hand warmers out from behind the counter and hand them to him. "Hey thanks!" He pulled his money pouch out from his coat pocket and fingered it in his hands. "Listen, we're visiting from another planet and we have gems that we usually pay with. I was wondering if you could help me figure out the total in terms of barter." He dropped his third of the gems into a pile on the table and watched as both women gasped and stood back while the man slightly widened his eyes.

The elder lady blinked, "Those kinds of gems are extremely rare around here. I'd have to say that probably one of those red ones would be worth half the entire pile!" The woman gave exchanged a glance with the young woman beside her.

Pan saw the younger woman look to the man and whisper something under her breath. They must be in shock from seeing such expensive gems. Pan smiled as she realized she could probably buy a lot of good things here for cheap prices.

When the transaction was over, they found themselves outside again, each holding five stuffed bags of clothing. Pan looked down to their new clothes with a frown. "Now what do we do with all the bags?"

"I have it all under control." Trunks smiled to her and took the sky. He landed on the roof of the building and leaned over its edge, gesturing for her to follow. Pan nervously glanced at other peoples' stares and flew up to meet Trunks above the store they had just been shopping in.

Trunks pulled out a dyno-cap case. He opened it, studied its contents a moment, and ultimately threw capsule '58' to the wide open space of the roof. It exploded into a red sedan.

"Aww, the sedan?" Pan raised an eyebrow and grinned, "And here I thought you'd give me another chance with the convertible."

Trunks laughed and shook his head, "Heheh, maybe one day," He grinned to her. "When we're not driving around on the roof a building, that is."

Her eyes widened with surprise and delight as her voice raised in pitch, "You _mean _it? Really?"

His smile faltered a moment as he remembered that time on Imecka, when she drove that vehicle like a madwoman. That tended to be his first and foremost thought when picturing her driving anything. But then again, she was fifteen now…

"How about this," Trunks made his way to the left back seat door and looked at her as he opened it, "After we get back home, I promise I'll let you ride it in a parking lot."

"A _parking_ lot?" Pan faked a pout, but couldn't hold it as her mouth curved into a smile. "Ah well," she chuckled slightly, "I guess I'll take whatever I can get."

Trunks stuffed his bags into the back seat and grinned to her, "And maybe I could take you for a real ride once you learn how to drive manual."

Pan walked up to the trunk and opened it with a scoff, "_Manual_..." With a slight yawn, she stuffed her bags inside, and closed it. When she turned around, Trunks was already behind her, "Someday you need to make a car that's automatic."

"We do," Trunks smiled to her. "So, what now? We still have another few hours before we have to get back to the ship."

"I know!" Pan beamed as she clasped her hands together, "Can we go item shopping again, how that we got our chores out of the way?"

"Sure," he nodded. Then, after a pause, his eyebrows frowned a bit, "Just… let's not walk in the middle of the crowd this time, okay? Walking along the sidelines might be a little less of a squeeze. I really have a problem with people being that close to me. I don't like when people touch me."

"What? Run that by me again? You don't like when people touch you?" Pan felt incredibly naughty and poked him the shoulder with a grin. "So does this annoy you?" She poked him again on the chest, earning a grunt from him.

He pushed her hand aside. "I'm not talking about people I know. I'm talking about strangers." Pan poked him in the stomach with her other hand, causing him to jump back, "And yes, that poking _does_ annoy me. Stop that."

She reached out to poke him again, but he grabbed her fist and poked her in her side repeatedly, causing her to erupt in an enormous laughing fit, "No! No! Stop that, it tickles! It TICKLES!"

She shoved him off of her and staggered back a few feet, giggling slightly.

And then there was a pause as some birds flew overhead. Pan stood there with a smile that vanished, leaving her with a wondering expression while Trunks was on guard for a counterattack,

He was half expecting her to throw a ki blast at him to get revenge, or to yell something, or even just to stand there and grin at him, but this particular reaction of hers puzzled Trunks. It just seemed to come out of nowhere, this completely serious side to her. And just a few minutes ago, she told him never to take her seriously. She really _was_ a hypocrite. He smirked slightly at the thought.

The look that she had, though… He had seen her wear it several times lately when they'd be talking together alone, usually talking about home. It was almost one of longing, of quiet sadness, held in and bottled up, filled with secrets. He would ask her what she was thinking of, but she'd just smile sadly and stare off to the stars.

She walked up to him with her soft sad smile, completely silent, and then did the unthinkable… She wrapped her arms around his back and buried her face in his chest.

Trunks stiffened and gaped as she held herself against him. His eyes went wide as he looked down at her, his heart pounding in confusion.

It was one thing for Pan to hug him when drunk two months back, but this – this was completely uncalled for. He had no idea how to react this. This was awkward; this was embarrassing! He kept his arms rigidly down, unsure of what to do with them.

"You're my best friend, Trunks." She squeezed her arms around him gently. "I just… I wanted you to know that."

He could feel a slight tint coming to his cheeks. His hands twitched, but still stayed down. He suddenly wanted to tell her so many things, but he was sure that every one of his thoughts would in some way ruin her moment.

"Why are you so tense, Trunks? Please, hug me. Please? It something wrong?"

"I uh…" Trunks looked up, unsure of how to word his statement in a way that would not be offensive to her, "I'm a little… uncomfortable…"

"Why? I'm just hugging you." Pan loosened her grip and pulled back a bit to look at his face.

A slight flashback of his childhood threatened to prickle his memory. "I… it's…" His eyebrows went up in a frown as he breathed in and let it out with a sad fake smile. "This…is a little embarrassing…" The ridge of his nose was bright red as he looked down to his feet. "I guess I'm just not used to being held."

"Not used to being held?" Pan blinked and knelt down a little bit to catch where Trunks' gaze had wandered to, looking him in the eye with a mischievous smile. "Well, I can remedy that."

Trunks' eyebrows turned up and he let out a nervous cough. "Eh..." He pushed her gently away with a cautious smile and shook his head. "Let's, uh, get back to the marketplace. Okay?" He began to turn away, but was caught by Pan in mid-stride.

"Wait." He felt her hand wrap around his arm, bringing him to a stop. He looked at her questioningly. "Am I your best friend too?" She looked so incredibly vulnerable, her eyes sad, her face patient, her body tense, as if expecting to hear an answer that could make her cry.

He didn't want her to cry. He knew that it was really easy to get her emotions to plummet, and once she hit rock-bottom she usually dragged his mood down with her. He didn't want to hurt her. He wanted to say anything that could get her to smile and get her mind off of doubt, even if it meant telling a slightly white lie: "Sure, Pan-chan. You're my best friend." He sighed softly and briefly ran his hand along her bandana, bring a friendly grin to his face, even though he was feeling more uncomfortable than ever at the moment.

It really was an unexpected question for him. It was something he knew he'd be thinking about in the cockpit later on. How close was he with Pan? How close would they be later on? Even though he hadn't been maintaining the closeness with Goten nowadays, would that make him less of a best friend and Pan more of one since she and he had gotten into more epic adventures than Goten and he ever did? What exactly defined a best friend? How much could he actually trust Pan?

He had been staring beyond her, at a building several blocks down. He realized he must have spaced out because when he snapped out of it, he realized she was hugging him again, her face buried in his shirt and her hands soothingly brushing his back. His own hands were rigidly down as always. He couldn't remember the last time he hugged someone back. He somewhat remembered several past girlfriends of his, several years ago, complaining about how, although he felt quite comfortable doing absolutely everything else with them, he never could bring himself to hold them. He had guessed it was just a female thing, the need to be held. It irritated and embarrassed him more than it comforted him.

However, he had no problems of sharing intimate moments with someone. However long ago it was now, since that incident on the Planet Vidal when he kissed Pan on the forehead, he had shown that he was able to be close to her, to express his friendship. Even when she was drunk on Kikaru and holding him tightly, he had run his fingers down her back to soothe her… But actually hugging her… That just… It would never happen. He just didn't hug people. Not like that.

He found himself once again pushing her away from him. "It's about time we got back to shopping, don't you think?"

"I hate shopping. I'd rather just sit and talk with you." She watched sadly as he began backing away from her.

He chuckled and walked over to the sedan, running his fingers along its frame. "I thought you wanted to buy a new video game?" His hands found the button he was looking for on the driver's door. As he pressed it, the car made a giant _POOF!_ sound, and capsulized back into a small cylinder.

"I do. What kind of games to you like?" Pan watched Trunks pick up the capsule and stick it into his dyno-cap container.

"I've never really been into fighter games. I'd much prefer to do the real thing." Trunks walked over to the edge of the building and looked down to the crowd. Pan followed him, standing to his side and looking up to watch his face.

"You say you like the real thing, but you can fight a lot more in a video game than you do in real life. Honestly, Trunks, when was the last time you even sparred?" She crossed her arms as he looked down to raise his right eyebrow at her.

"I'd have to say… um… two months ago?" Trunks suddenly jumped from the building and landed on the sidewalk below, scaring some pedestrians as they shrieked and backed away from the person that just appeared from the sky.

Pan jumped down beside him, her eyes wide, ignoring the confused onlookers who were all trying to casually walk away as if nothing unordinary had just happened. "Two months ago! With who!"

"With Goku, silly. Come on, let's go." He began walking alongside the noisy crowd.

"And I missed this! Where was _I!_ You have to be kidding me!" Pan screamed out in anguish, flailing her hands up. "I can't believe I missed out on a sparring match between you guys!"

Trunks stopped her and put his index finger to her mouth. "You would have been killed if you were there. I was letting out a lot of steam that evening, and I'm glad that I let it out on Goku because you were in no state to take a beating."

A loud roar erupted from the crowd. It appeared that some competition had just begun and everyone in the marketplace was screaming in the streets. It was getting hard to hear her own voice. "Are you talking about our wedding night?"

Trunks just grinned and began to edge his way through the crowd, his gaze wandering over people's heads to see what all the commotion was about.

Pan knew she'd regret drinking so much that night. At first, she was only mad for allowing herself to get such a large headache the next morning. Now, she was pissed because she missed out on one of the rarest battles of the millennia. She had never known Trunks to ever take on her grandpa. Even _she_ had never taken him on before. She had to ask. She was itching inside to ask the question, even though she was almost positively sure of the answer. "Who won?" The screaming vendors and mass of shouting people engulfed her question.

"What!" Trunks turned to her, trying to hear her over the people.

"I said '_who won'!_"

He grinned mischievously. "I did! As always!"

Pan felt her breath catch in her throat. "Really?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No, of course not! You _know_ I'm just kidding. I'm nowhere near as strong as him!"

Pan thought of how great the battle must have been. Several rude shoves from strangers quickly brought her back to reality. "You know you could have, with you going Super Saiyan 2 and all. I'm sure you could have done some good damage to him!"

Trunks spun around, unsure if he heard her right over the crowd. "What!"

"I _said,_ you know, you could have, with you going –"

"I heard you the first time! What are you talking about, Super Saiyan 2? I can't go Super Saiyan 2!"

"Trunks, I can barely hear you! Let's go up to the roof again or something!"

Trunks looked around and saw there was an alley within a close range. It would be quieter to talk about this. He needed to know what she was talking about. This was no joke to him.

He took her hand and wove his way through the crowds over to the shady pass between two buildings. The entrance to it was still loud, so he brought her in a few meters deeper where he could hear her properly. "Okay, so tell me again. What are you saying about me going Super Saiyan 2?"

"You don't remember that?"

"Remember what?"

"When Baby was inside you, you went Super Saiyan 2 and threw him out of your body. There were blue lightning bolts and everything coming from you. I've heard about it from my dad. It was definitely different than the regular Super Saiyan form."

"Are you absolutely sure of that?" Trunks' heart was leaping as he was discovering an ability of his that he didn't even know he had. "I mean, are you completely one hundred percent certain?"

"Why don't we have a spar and we can both test it out?" Pan smiled with a glint in her eyes. "I've wanted to spar with you for a long time. I think your dad might be angry with me for getting out of shape this past year.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. You should hear how much he harps on me, saying that I'm a disgrace for settling for a desk job versus training. And then, this! Imagine what he'd say when he finds out I can go Super Saiyan 2 and he can't!" Trunks began to laugh heartily at the thought. "I think he'd just explode!"

Pan laughed alongside of Trunks, "Yes, I can see it now: 'Ahh'," she mockingly crossed her arms and raised her nose, " 'Not you too! All this training and what do I get? A bunch of clowns running around throwing legendary power as if it were a pillow fight'!"

Trunks laughed harder, "You forgot the part where he complains that he's the 'Prince of all Saiyans' and he should be the most powerful warrior in all the universe."

Pan tried to control her breathing but failed as she leaned against the cement wall of the alleyway, "I'm surprised you're making fun of his title, Trunks. I mean, you also would be regarded as a prince."

"Do you realize how many times in my life I've had to hear him whine about that? Every time we talk about Goku, all he can think of is catching up to 'Kakarot' in power and then defeating him once and for all." He cracked a grin, "And then who would he rule over? You, your father and Goten. Honestly, I think he'd rather just stick to keeping 'Kakarot' around so he'd have some blind goal to look forward to."

"Yeah, really, it's not like there are any enemies around nowadays that would threaten the Earth."

"It's great not having anything to worry about. No predicaments or sticky situations. And, even for us right now. So far we've stayed out of trouble on this planet. I wonder how long that will last?"

A cold voice started behind him, "Till about right now!"

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–_10/29/04_–

_Continued on Chapter 18…_


	18. Unsuspecting Thieves

_Read Chapter 17 before this one. They are both new and part of the same installment! Chapters 17 and 18 were originally one single chapter, which I broke apart because I have issues about scrolling windows._

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CHAPTER 18:

Unsuspecting Thieves

A cold voice started behind him, "Till about right now!" It scared the life out of Trunks as he leapt in surprise as he felt something touching the back of his head. "Turn around, hands above your head!"

Trunks gave a blank questioning look to Pan, but she just stared at the person behind him. Whoever this was had to be kidding around. They could not _possibly_ be serious. This had to be some joke. Trunks turned around slowly to get a better look at the person behind the voice, raising his hands as if it would somehow make the person safer.

A woman who looked very much like his sister was holding some gun-like object between his eyes, smirking confidently in a red dress. He instantly recognized the girl from the store. Behind her, her young male companion held a similar object, aiming where Pan stood. He was a good eight feet away from Pan, though. If he fired, she'd have plenty of time to escape or catch the bullet. He, on the other hand, had a barrel pressing between his eyes. It was at times like these he thanked his father for being a Saiyan and passing down a good portion of his genes. Trunks knew that if there were some metallic item, such as a bullet, in that gun, it would barely bruise him if he powered up a little bit. If it hit Pan, on the other hand, she was a lot more human than Saiyan. She could really get hurt.

He didn't want to take any chances. His principle concern was to get Pan out of there. He would comply with them until he'd find an opportune moment to catch the woman off her guard and get Pan to safety before going back to confiscate their guns.

Trunks raised his hands a little higher, "Alright, what do you want?"

The woman's smirk broadened as she glanced to his pocket. "Your gem pouch."

"Is this supposed to be a robbery?" He tilted his head slightly and felt the gun move with his forehead as she cackled. "I recognize you from the store we were just at. You two are just a couple of crooks, aren't you? Cheating your way through life by forcing people to do things at gunpoint. I wonder what your manager would think of you, knowing you're taking your lunch break to rob 'helpless' tourists?"

"You're stupid for carrying around that much money, and if my mother were any younger, she'd be joining us in this fantastic hold-up. Just a few of those gems could buy us a mansion! I must say that I'm quite pleased with you. Because of you, I can finally live the dream life I've always wanted with my mate. If you hand your gems over without any resistance, we'll spare your lives. If you're cooperative, we'll maybe even let you keep a few of them so you can leave this planet and go back home to your 'Earth'."

Trunks glanced at the man again. His eyes and aim were directly on Pan. Things could really get messy, especially if Pan were looking at him right now and not concentrating on her captor. He could feel her ki fluctuating dramatically. She was obviously currently distracted. If he made a break, they'd shoot in surprise and Pan wouldn't be ready to dodge it.

The barrel pressed harder between his eyes, causing him to step back to balance himself. "Do you hear me? Hand over your gem bag _now!_"

Trunks heard a desperate shout from Pan behind him, "Don't you dare hurt him!" He felt her ki skyrocketing. He realized that she was probably having trouble controlling her power.

"Oh, he _will_ be hurt if he doesn't hand the gems over right this second." The woman laughed triumphantly, throwing her head back for a moment, "His life is meaningless to me. Those gems are worth more than fifty of his lives."

This was better. This was getting to be the opportune moment. The woman was getting too overconfident. He would take her by surprise. All he needed was for her to look away for a brief moment and then he could take care of this and get Pan out of danger.

The woman continued, undaunted by his patient glare, "However, I'm beginning to rethink it. Maybe I should just kill him and take the money. It will make things a lot cleaner this way." She triggered some button that made the gun emit an eerie high-pitched sound, as if it were preparing to fire. She turned her head to face her husband, "Wouldn't you agree, honey? I say we finish him off."

This was it! The right moment, at this time, when she was looking away. Trunks powered up as fast as he could and was about to whip his arm around to whack the gun out of her hand when all of a sudden, Pan charged at the woman, flying at her with an other-worldly scream that pierced the entire city and shook the buildings around.

The woman had just enough time to whip her head around and see Pan hurl her body onto hers, her nails slicing through the woman's throat. The woman screamed and fell backward, but in the process, as the gun barrel loosened against Trunks' forehead, it suddenly went off, splitting through the screams and shouts that were erupting around them.

Trunks flew backward from the blast against his forehead and smacked into the cement wall, cracking it where his body had made impact, before he fell to the ground. He heard Pan scream something shrill, indecipherable in her maddened rage. His vision was a bit blurry. He looked up from where he lay collapsed on the ground and could make out Pan's figure pummeling the man, howling curses and roaring profanities, crying as if all her world had ended and she was blindly fighting to the death. The young woman lied in a comatose state on the ground, the man looked like he wasn't going to make it if Pan kept this up.

He tried to sit up, to call out to her, to tell her to stop, but the world was reeling and he felt too sick and dizzy to breathe right in order to form words. His skin burned where the weapon had made impact, and saw that some metal was etched into his skin. He gently peeled it off as if it were a band-aid before tossing it to the side and rubbing his forehead in pain.

Something was definitely not right about Pan. She was fighting differently, almost desperately. It was a little hard to make out, but he could have sworn that her left hand was emitting some really bright light that somehow wasn't a ki blast. He couldn't focus straight. His head pounded and he brought his hand to his eyes to concentrate on staying conscious. The blast was a little harder than he thought. Perhaps he had overestimated his Saiyan side. He was also half human, after all.

"Pan..." He gasped, trying to stand up. "Pan, stop it. You're going to kill him." His hands pressed against the wall, trying to balance himself as he attempted to put some weight on his feet. "Pan..." He took a sharp intake of breath, "PAN!" He collapsed down again and groaned.

She stopped in mid-punch and looked at him with a tear-stricken face. She was gasping for air, holding the bloodied man up by his shirt, looking as if she had lost her mind, or a piece of herself that nothing could replace. She looked forlorn, and he had no idea what spurred this. It came out of nowhere. He gestured for her to come to him, hoping she would release the man's collar and stop whatever tantrum she was on. Those people were criminals, but they didn't deserve to die.

Pan threw the unconscious man down and ran toward Trunks, dropping to her knees, throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing into his shoulder. "I thought you died! I thought you died..."

What was she _thinking_? He _could_ have died, if he were not powered up or expecting that blast. She should not have lunged at the girl when she had a gun to Trunks' head. What she did was not wise, and it showed her lack of fighting experience. It was just _stupid_ on her part. He would have to have a long and serious talk with her about this.

"I'm alive, Pan, and I'm okay..." He took a deep breath, trying to ignore his pounding headache. "Could you help me up?" He took Pan's hand and stood on his feet, rubbing the spot where the blast had hit him. She again pressed herself against his body, burying her face into his black shirt, sobbing uncontrollably.

He didn't know what to do with his hands. He opted for smoothing her bandana with one hand while the other gently squeezed her shoulder. He was in a really pissy mood right now, but he was doing his best to hide it. If she expected him to be all kissy and cuddly after what just happened, she definitely thought wrong. But, he waited for her crying to settle down before separating himself from her and looking into her eyes with his hands on her shoulders. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"She... she was going to shoot you. She was going to kill you and she didn't care and –"

"I know that part. I'm wondering why _you_ jumped in. You should have just gotten out of there. I could have easily handled them on my own, and I only didn't act because I was afraid you might have gotten hurt."

"I... I didn't mean to. I was going to just stand back, but I don't know what happened. All of a sudden, I couldn't control it anymore. I pictured her killing you, and I couldn't take it." Pan looked down and sniffled again.

"What do you mean you couldn't control it? You've been training all your life. You should have been able to keep your thoughts unclouded. What happened?"

"My finger started burning... and I couldn't control my emotions. I can't explain it..." She looked away, ashamed. "I know what I did was stupid. I don't know what happened. I couldn't handle the thought of you dying, and in the end, you got shot and... and...and..." Her eyes teared up again, "I'm so sorry, Trunks... you could have died. I thought you died..."

"I'm fine Pan, but I think those two had a number done on them." He gestured to the two blue haired criminals on the ground. "I'm not quite sure what to tell you. On one hand, I want to tell you that I'm extremely proud of you for handling those two by yourself. On the other hand, I am disappointed that you brought them so close to death. Now it has become our responsibility to get them to the hospital. Your game shopping will have to be put on hold."

She shook her head, "I don't want to shop anymore. I don't want anything except for you to be okay." She ran her hand through his bangs gently, "No game could ever come close to how much you mean to me." She brought her hand down to rest on his cheek as she sniffled and offered a sad smile.

"Pan, don't act all weird on me. I know I'm your best friend and all, but what you're doing right now is getting me to feel really uncomfortable. I mean –" Trunks pushed himself slightly away from her to look in her eyes, "It's sweet, Pan. I really think what you did just now, defending me from these two people... it was really touching." He brought her hand down from his face and held it for a moment. "But you're not acting like yourself."

"I'm sorry," she dropped her hand and shrugged to no one in particular. "I'm just confused. I'll be better in a little bit, I promise." She chuckled lightly to herself, "I guess this proves that I don't always need my grandpa around to get me out of trouble." She pointed to Trunks and cracked a grin, "It also proves that _you're_ the one that always gets me into the trouble in the first place."

"Me? What did _I_ do? I didn't do anything except stand there."

"Exactly. When you don't take the initiative, _I_ have to. And that's what gets us into trouble."

"We only get into trouble because you jump into something that isn't our business. That's why I don't do anything about it."

"But if we just ignored every cry for help, it would become my business because it would weigh on my conscience!"

Trunks stepped back and grinned even wider as a memory came to him. "My goodness, that sure sounds like the ideology of someone else I know..."

"What does?"

"The urge to help _everyone_. Not just one or two people, but absolutely _everyone_." He leaned against the cracked wall and smirked, "You could have been another side-kick to the Great Saiyaman."

Pan blinked and frowned, "Who's the Great Saiyaman?"

His eyes widened, "You don't know the Great Saiyman?!"

"What are you talking about?"

Trunks couldn't hold it in. He burst out laughing, relying on the wall for support as he banged his fists against the cement, unable to express how funny he thought the whole idea was. "Your parents never told you?! That's hilarious!!! Hahahahah!"

"Trunks are you going to tell me, or are you going to just laugh at your own joke?"

"The Great Saiyaman was a justice-enforcing hero who um..." His eyes rolled up as he tried to choose his words carefully, "...tended to be his own trend-setter." He coughed once as he tried to keep a straight face, "To put it lightly, he dressed like an overgrown bug." Trunks felt his diaphragm spasming again, threatening to send him into another fit of laughter. He tried to breathe in a steady rhythm, but found it hard when he looked at Pan's expression. A huge grin framed his face, his eyes looking beyond Pan to picture that classic, yet notoriously mortifying outfit. "That was years before you were born. The Great Saiyaman retired a long time ago. I must have been about... let's see, with the year in the hyperbolic time chamber... I must have been about nine, going on ten."

"How does this 'Great Saiyman' relate to me?" Her eyebrows were pointed downward, her eyes portraying the confusion and impatience she was enduring in her mind.

Trunks just grinned, "I have a better idea. Instead of me telling you, I'll show you sometime."

"How do you intend to show me?"

Trunks stood up straight and dusted off his shorts. "Let's just say I brought some entertainment along that may humor you. I really had assumed you had already seen it. I guess I was wrong." He paused for a moment and looked at her, "I'm surprised you've never heard of him." He began walking over to the crumpled forms of the criminals and whispered to himself under his breath. "I wonder what else he hasn't told her..."

Pan followed Trunks and walked over to the unconscious male, checking his pulse. Trunks picked up the woman under his arm and turned to see that Pan was having a hard time picking up the male. He walked over and began to pick him up under his left arm.

"Hey, wait, I can carry him!" Pan adamantly slapped Trunks' hand away and leaned over to pick the male up with both her arms, carrying him as if cradling a baby.

Trunks took to the sky, searching around the city with his sharp vision to see if he could spot any hospital around. Pan soon joined him in the air, careful not to drop her carry-on. Trunks looked at her, still pondering how she could never have heard of the Great Saiyaman. Behind her, his eyes focused on a tall white building in the distance. It had the universal symbol for hospital on the top. A hover-craft was lifting off from its roof at the moment. If it weren't for that brief movement, Trunks might never have spotted it. "There it is!" He pointed in the direction of the building.

Pan turned to him, grinning. "Hey Trunks, I'll race ya to the hospital! Last one there has to do Grandpa's laundry!"

"Bring it on!" Trunks grinned evilly and spiked his ki to go Super Saiyan. "See ya there!" He saluted her with his right index finger and blasted off.

"What?! WAIT! You can't go super! That's not fair! Trunks, _get back here_ and start over!" Pan blasted after him, already too far behind for her voice to reach his ears. She muttered several indecent comments under her breath and pushed her ki to go as fast as she could fly.

_Another_ night of doing Grandpa's laundry... Why did she always do this to herself?

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-_Completed 10/24/04_-

_-Uploaded 10/30/04-_


	19. Trunks' Big Surprise

_Be sure to read Chapters 17 and 18 before you start this one. I updated all of these chapters (I also have Chapter 20's final draft done, which will be posted tomorrow) around the same time, and I don't want any readers to skip any by accident. _

_To spare you a "back button" just in case you have read it, know that in the last two chapters, Trunks and Pan went shopping for jackets and had an unpleasant encounter with robbers._

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CHAPTER 19:

Trunks' Big Surprise

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Pan stuck out two fingers as Giru bleeped and held out his own hand, all three appendages extended. "Good job, Giru! You just did 'paper' and that beats out a rock, but because I did scissors, I beat you! See, scissors cuts paper!" Pan imitated a pair of scissors snipping across Giru's fingers. "Wanna try it again?"

"-giru giru-...Giru beat Pan! -giru giru-"

"No, you need to have had a rock to beat me. You did paper."

"Giru play again!! -giru giru-"

Pan laughed and leaned back on the sofa. "You silly 'bot, this is the third time I've taught you these rules. Why can't you just save it to your memory banks or something?"

Pan and Giru were on the lounge couch, lying in front of the television which was currently off. Goku was asleep on the floor, tired after having done about three thousand sit-ups that day. That had taken him a long time to do, and Pan had found herself extremely bored. She resorted to teaching Giru a new game to play with her so she could have a partner to have fun with. Next, she intended to teach him cards. However, considering he was having a hard enough time comprehending "rock, paper, scissors," she knew she'd have to take it one step at a time.

Pan rolled her eyes and held up her hands before the robot. "Okay, I'll explain it one more time. There are three hand positions. Rock, paper, and scissors. Repeat after me: Rock."

"Rock, -giru giru-..."

"Paper."

"-giru giru-"

"Hey Pan. What are you up to?"

Pan turned to see Trunks entering the doorway and scooted to the side of the couch as he sat down beside her. She gave an exasperated sigh, "Not much. I've discovered that Giru can't understand the concept of a hand game."

"Which game? Rock paper scissors?" Pan nodded and Trunks smiled a bit. "Of course he wouldn't be able to play that game! That game's logic is looped in a cycle of hierarchies. He's probably confused because he believes the winner alternates randomly every time and he doesn't know how to how to beat the odds." He paused a bit and saw a slight look of confusion on her face.

"What?" Pan raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean? He can't understand how to play a game?"

Trunks leaned back and looked up to the ceiling. "No, it's not that. Let's see... How can I best explain this." He cleared his throat and rubbed his hand along Giru while talking. "Giru doesn't have the pragmatic ability encoded into his system to recognize patterns from arbitrary signifiers; and he doesn't have the programming to form structural metaphors or symbols from displacement." He turned to look at Pan, smiling. He hoped that explanation helped.

Pan's eyes had gone wide sometime during his explanation, and her mouth hung open in befuddlement. She was beginning to sweat a bit, realizing how intelligent Trunks actually was. And that was supposed to be a clarification?!

"What's wrong, Pan? Was it something I said?"

"No," She would never admit she had no idea what he was just talking about. She'd look up those words later if she remembered them. She looked over to Giru, who was practicing making the 'scissors' formation with his hands. So much for _that_ game. "Augh, I'm so bored." Pan leaned forward on the sofa and cupped her face in her hands as her elbows rested on her legs.

Goku was still sleeping soundly on the floor not even several feet away from the sofa. He was giving off slight snores, which were a lot quieter than that what he usually emitted every night. Pan seriously thought of kicking him out of the bedroom to sleep on this exact couch several times. Her grandpa could seriously fall asleep anywhere. Pan sighed and looked toward Trunks, who was still leaning back on the sofa and presently staring at the ceiling.

"When are we going to get to the next planet?" Pan yawned a bit and closed her eyes.

"In about two days. Well, no... more like 38 hours or something like that, so less than two days." There was a large pause as Pan sat there silently and Trunks stared unblinking at the white ceiling. Trunks suddenly sat up and looked toward Pan, but his gaze out of focus as he was forming a thought. "Hey Pan... I was thinking..."

"Yeah?" Pan opened her eyes and leaned her head a bit to look at him.

"I was thinking about turning the heating system off, so we could practice being in a cold environment before actually experiencing it. It might seem a little less chilly on the planet that way." He stressed again, "A _little_ less chilly."

"Sure, I don't have a problem with that."

"Yeah, but what about Goku?"

They both turned to look at the sleeping Saiyan. Pan huffed, "He deserves to suffer in the cold for his unbelievably idiotic stupidity."

"Pan, I wouldn't put it _that _harshly..."

"How _else_ could I say it?" She hissed at the thought, "I can't believe he spent _ALL _his money on frozen foods and _didn't get a jacket!!!_"

"Shhh, Pan, you'll wake him up!"

"Let him wake up! He had enough money to buy a whole castle with servants and slaves kneeling at his feet with fresh cutleries, and he went and spent it on every single frozen food item in every last food market on that _entire planet_!!!"

"I know it was stupid, but he's really going to regret it. Consider it a belated punishment. You don't have to rub it in."

"What are we going to do with all the food?! There must at least a _million zenie_'s worth of food in his capsule refrigerator. He can't _possibly_ eat it all."

Trunks smiled and leaned forward to look at his hands. "You know, Pan, it's partly your fault that it happened."

"What did _I_ do!? I didn't tell him to go do that!"

Trunks looked up and pointed to her briefly to prove his point, "You told him you wouldn't cook for a week. So, he got desperate. You _know_ that Goku tends to overreact when he finds out he won't be getting home-cooked meals."

They both turned to their heads to look at Goku, who stirred in his slumber on the floor. The boy let out a big yawn and rolled over, mumbling something about being hungry. Pan grunted. How typical of him.

Something heavy pressed on Pan's shoulder and she turned her head slightly to see Giru standing on it, stretching out two 'scissors' hands as if giving peace signs. She suddenly forgot her irritation and began to chuckle at the robot. "Giru, I like that! You should pose like that more often."

"What pose?" Trunks turned his head to see Giru and grinned as memories of a similar pose formed in his mind, "Oh wow! He looks like just Hercule when he does that."

"You're right, Trunks! He _does_ look like Gramps. Hey Giru, can you say 'I'm the champion of the world' for me?"

Trunks scoffed with a grin as Giru began to recite his new catchphrase. Mr. Satan was possibly the most outrageous case he'd ever know in his lifetime. He only had several opportunities to meet him in person other than at martial arts tournaments. The only time they ever really talked for more than several minutes was at Gohan and Videl's wedding so many years ago. Trunks must have been around thirteen at the time, but Hercule was still ever the showman almost sixteen years later. Just like Goku, Pan's other grandfather, Hercule Satan, would never change.

"You shouldn't start training him to be like Hercule; it might permanently damage his circuits." Trunks chuckled, "His ego could inflate to be too large for his frame to handle."

Pan looked over with a frown, "Well, what _else _am I supposed to do? I'm so bored."

A few minutes passed in an awkward silence, neither one having anything interesting to say. Sudenly, Trunks' eyes brightened and a large smile crossed his face. "I have an idea!" Trunks stood up and faced her, "I'll be right back. I'm going to turn the thermostat down and grab our jackets." He put his thumbs in his pockets and shifted his weight onto his left leg casually. "And then... well... I have something that you may enjoy. We can watch it after I make us some popcorn."

"What is it?"

He winked, "It's a surprise." He stood straight then headed for the door, "Wait here."

Pan watched Trunks leave the room and felt her eyebrows knotting down again. She leaned her head against Giru who was sitting on her shoulder. She spoke aloud, as if nobody were listening. "I wonder what he's going to get. A surprise?" She brought her feet up to the couch and sat cross-legged, watching Goku snore peacefully on the floor.

What could possibly be a surprise to her? It had been almost a year, and she'd been with Trunks and her grandpa every single day. What could he have been hiding from her? What could possibly be so interesting that he'd not tell her what it is, hoping she'd be delighted at the surprise? She wasn't stupid. She assumed it was something to 'watch' on the television because of how he mentioned getting popcorn, but she'd already seen all the movies in their collection. She wasn't in the mood to sit down and watch an old film again. But, then again, she was so bored, anything would be better than just sitting around and doing nothing.

"Giru the champion of the world! -giru giru-" The robot prodded her face. "Pan champion of the universe!"

"Yes!" She brightened at the idea, "I like that! 'Pan Son, Champion of the Universe.' I could get used to that title!" She turned her attention to Giru and grinned. He seemed to have some common sense after all. "Okay, I want to teach you another game while we're waiting. This one is simple. It's called 'thumb war'."

"Thumb war, -giru guru- ..."

Pan picked the robot up from her shoulder and placed him on her lap. "Alright, this is what you do. You hold out your hand like this, see?" She explained the rules of her new game to the patient robot, careful to keep her instructions simple. "Wanna give it a shot?"

"-giru giru-"

After Pan and Giru began to practice, Pan found that she had too much of an advantage over Giru. She sighed and pondered the problem for a bit. It wasn't fun without real competition. "Okay how about this, I'm going to switch to my other hand. It might be more even that way."

"-giru giru-"

They battled it out for several minutes before Pan grew bored again. She felt tempted to call out to Trunks, but she didn't want to wake her grandpa, and she was way too lazy to actually get up off the sofa to go find him. He did ask her to wait there, though. If she found him, she might accidentally discover his 'surprise.' Where _was _he? Why was he taking so long?

"Giru, go find Trunks for me and tell him I'm getting impatient."

Giru bleeped happily, "Giru, champion of the world! Giru find Trunks -giru giru-!" He gave out two peace signs and then flew out the door. Pan giggled a bit under her breath. That robot was such a character.

After Giru left, Pan suddenly found herself alone, even though Goku was sprawled out on the floor like a rug. She hated being alone. She was never one to keep her thoughts to herself, and she could never understand how Trunks could like to sit alone and _think_ in that cockpit all the time.

Perhaps this would be the perfect time to look up those words Trunks used before, but she forgot what he said already. She got the point, though, that Giru couldn't learn _complicated _games like "rock paper scissors." There went her dreams of teaching him poker. She grinned. First, she'd have to learn how to play it herself.

There was a soft knock on the wall behind her and she twisted around to see Trunks enter holding a gigantic bowl of popcorn with two coats slung over his shoulder. She suddenly got a whiff of it. It smelled so unbelievably good, her mouth started to water. The aroma drifted and quickly scented the whole room.

Goku sprung awake, jumping to his feet in a yelp of glee. All fatigue was disregarded as the smell made its way to his brain. "Popcorn!!"

Trunks was slightly alarmed by the dexterity of the boy who had just been snoring just a few seconds before. "No, Goku, stay back. Stay _back_! This is _our_ popcorn. Go make your own."

"Aww," Goku rubbed his stomach and whiffing the aroma of the snack, "But I'm so _hungry_..."

Pan let out a frustrated groan, "Augh! Grandpa, go make yourself one of your frozen dinners."

"But I don't _want_ a frozen dinner. I want popcorn."

Trunks sighed audibly, "Goku, I just spent a _lot_ of time in the kitchen waiting for all these bags to pop. There's _no way_ I'm going to surrender this. This is mine and Pan's." Trunks nodded his head to the doorway, "The capsule with all the popcorn bags is still lying out on the counter if you'd like to make yourself some and join us."

"Oh...alright..." Goku rubbed his belly again and glumly dragged his feet toward the door.

Trunks watched the boy leave and let out a breath he had been secretly holding in. He was so afraid that Goku was going to start a scene. He didn't want Goku to ruin his moment of surprise with Pan. This was just too good.

He handed the gigantic bowl to Pan, which she balanced on her lap. He dropped their coats beside her and stood proudly with his hands in his side pockets. Pan gave him a questioning look. "So, is there going to be a surprise or not?"

"There sure is." He smirked as he brought his right hand to his back pocket, pulling out the item he had been hiding. He flashed it quickly in front of her and walked over to the video player. He popped the item in and turned on the television. "You ready for some quality entertainment?"

"Only as long as it has a little more action than the last movie we watched." Pan stuffed some popcorn into her mouth, savoring its flavor and enjoying the fact that the popcorn was still warm.

"Shh, it's starting." Trunks ran over to close the door and shut off the lights as the opening scene began to play.

"_There was a time when evil ran rampant in the cities. Crimes were high, thieves lurked in all the shadows, and the world cried out for a hero. Little did they know that their prayers one day would be answered. A great hero had heard their call and came to set things right. Justice would prevail!"_

Trunks pushed the coats aside and sat down next to Pan.

She leaned over to him and whispered, "This movie sucks."

"Shhhh, just watch!"

The movie panned in to a young man dressed in black and green, a red cape flowing from his shoulders along with a long white cloth around his head. Black sunglasses shaded his eyes as he stood proudly on top of a building. Dramatic music began to play and reached a climactic note. Suddenly, the man started dancing around and posing like a cheerleader. _"I am the defender of liberty and justice! Champion of the weak! Shielder of oppression!"_ He threw his arms in strange angles, his feet kicking outward, "_Take note! Peace will prevail on Earth! Saiyaman is here!"_

"What is this? A comedy?"

"Shhhh,"

"Trunks, this is the worst movie I've ever seen!"

One arm went up to point above his head while the other pointed at the camera. His legs were crossed and then he jumped to make them open wide. _"Love is the answer, not war!"_ Both hands were above him now as he danced into a new pose, _"I have come to set the captives free!" _His voice rose, and so did half of his limbs, "_Evil will shatter when it hears my name!"_ His arms rigidly pointed in front of him and then did a karate-chop in the air. "_Now oppressors will have nowhere to hide! I am the Great Saiyaman!"_

"Oh I get it, this is that bug guy you were talking about before? He doesn't look like a bug to me."

"Just wait."

The title screen "THE GREAT SAIYAMAN MOVIE" showed up in big bold letters as an orchestrated soundtrack began to play. Trunks stuffed some popcorn into his mouth, moaning in delight when he realized how absolutely perfect he cooked it. He grinned over at Pan. She really had no idea. This was just too funny.

"How old is this movie?" Pan looked at him as the opening credits were playing.

"I was eight when they filmed it." Trunks thought a moment, "So, I guess, about twenty years ago?"

"I can tell. The picture looks a bit outdated." Pan stuffed her mouth full of popcorn and began to chew, "am komshidring juh fact jat duh skrip ish sho bab."

"Oh no, it isn't just the script." Trunks chuckled. "That's actually how the actor was. In fact, that opening scene was the real Great Saiyaman himself. It was a pleasant cameo, don't you think?"

"Whup?" Pan swallowed her mouthful and repeated herself, "What? That was the 'real' Great Saiyaman? With those awful poses and that ugly outfit?"

"The outfit _is_ pretty bad. Everyone agreed about that one. You should see the helmet."

The next scene opened up to a car chase: two criminals, a human and a giant boar man, shooting from a blue convertible at a woman in an orange car. They sped down a long highway, one of the two criminals on the cell phone with a guy that Pan assumed to be his boss. All kinds of accidents were happening, cars being turned over, explosions everywhere. It was actually an interesting scene until Mr. Saiyaman showed up. He flew in from the sky and landed with the same outfit he was wearing before, but instead of sunglasses and a long turban, he wore an ugly orange bug head with antennae and a blue shield. _"Stop you fiend!"_ He stopped the blue convertible in its tracks by merely reaching out and catching the car, inertia and all. It was quite impressive for a lowly bug like him. He rigidly reached out one arm above him while the other lay at his waist. _"Guardian of the city...." _His outstretched hand made a curve to resemble a semi-circle movement, "_I am the one and only..." _He pushed his arm back as if reading a punch while his other arm was outstretched as if having already had delivered a punch, except his hand was straight. "..._Great Saiyaman!"_

"Oh wow, I'm so scared." Pan rolled her eyes and munched on more popcorn.

The movie went on, about several mafia criminal guys that were trying to kill some woman because she was a spy. The Great Saiyaman's real identity was some detective guy who had fallen in love with this spy woman, the one from the initial chase scene, but she rejected him because she was in love with the Great Saiyaman and didn't realize that the detective and the Great Saiyaman were actually the same person. There were a lot of explosions, the justice fighter saved the day each time, and the movie dragged on.

They were at a scene where the spy woman's niece was tied to a subway line and the Great Saiyaman was rushing to help the girl, when all of a sudden, Goku stepped into the room with a big bowl of burnt popcorn. It stunk up the whole room with the smell of smoke. Pan turned around and held her nose. "Ahhh, Grandpa, that smells so bad. How could you ruin all that popcorn?!"

"Well, it said that each bag takes 6 minutes, and since I put 10 bags in there, I figured I'd wait 60 minutes like it said."

Trunks groaned, "Goku, I'm not even going to comment on this one. Just be glad the microwave didn't explode from what you just did."

"It's okay, even if it's burnt. I'm hungry and I'll eat it anyway." Goku popped some brown kernels in his mouth and made crunching noises. "Hey, what are you guys watching?"

Pan raised her hands as if pretending to be impressed, "The _Great Saiyaman_."

Trunks looked over to Goku and nodded, "She's never seen it before."

"Oh yeah, I remember the Great Saiyman! Hahaha, wasn't he so silly for thinking that up? I mean, honestly, what did he think he was doing, running around in that awful costume? And to think your mother designed it."

"Shh, Goku, she doesn't know that!"

Pan turned her head to Trunks, "What is he talking about?"

Trunks sighed, "Now look what you did, Goku. You ruined it."

"How does your mother have anything to do with this?"

"Uh..." Trunks glanced at Goku and prayed he would keep his silence, "Um.... My mom knows him personally...?" He really hoped that would drop the topic.

Goku, however, wasn't able to read Trunks' body language, and laughed, "Not _nearly_ as well as Pan does."

Goku was killing it. He had to shut that kid up or get rid of him somehow, "Goku, why don't you go make some more popcorn?"

"What's going on? How do I know this guy?"

Goku sat down on the armrest of the sofa and nudged Trunks, "Go on, tell her."

Trunks groaned and paused the film, sitting up straight. "I'm not sure if this is exactly the best way to break the news to her."

"Well, she's gotta find out sometime, right?" Goku gave a toothy grin.

Trunks wasn't sure how to word it. He was intending on telling her afterward, and this threw off all his plans. He glanced at Pan who was looking at him expectantly. "The Great Saiyman..."

"Yes?"

He took a breath, "The Great Saiyaman is actually..." he paused, "Gohan."

Pan stared at him blankly. The silence in the air was like a thick blanket smothering them and all sound except for the high pitched hum of the television set. It seemed like a minute ticked by with Pan staring unblinkingly at him.

The silence was broken by a tiny disturbance in Pan's chest, slowly spreading through her body, causing her to tremble slightly. It grew to a low rumble from her diaphragm, a slow shuddering movement that shook her shoulders. It spread to her face as her lips quivered and her eyes brightened. Suddenly, it burst out with an eruption of laughter, Pan falling back against the armrest, barely able to breathe as she clutched her stomach and kicked her legs, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It was just so funny to see her like that, Trunks started laughing too, unable to control himself, as if the laughter were contagious. Goku joined in and spilled some of his charcoaled snack on the floor. Whether it be Gohan in a bug outfit, Pan's laughing fit, or Goku's burnt popcorn, everything just seemed so funny.

"Oh wow," Pan wiped some tears from her eyes. "That was the best joke I've ever heard. That was so funny!!!! Wow, and I actually almost believed it for a second, heheheheh.."

Goku grinned and pat Trunks on the back twice, "No, Pan, what Trunks said is true. That's how your father and your mother became close. Outside of high school, they were crime fighters for a long time, both the Saiyman and Saiyaman II."

Pan's smile vanished, her eyes narrowing. A cold angry look replaced her once humored face. "My Papa would _never_ do anything that ridiculous! Those awful clothes, and what the heck are those poses?! Why did he say such stupid and corny things?!" She glared at Trunks, "Go back to the beginning! Right now!"

"The beginning?"

"The beginning, before the credits, when he's doing the cameo. I want to see it again."

"But we're in the middle of the movie!"

"Go back NOOOWWWW!!!!!" She threw her fists up in the air and then jumped for the remote which lay by Trunks.

He grabbed it away just in time and sprang up. "Wow, okay, okay! I didn't think you'd get so _mad_. My goodness..." He clicked the button that would return them to the menu screen and then started the movie over.

"_There was a time when evil ran rampant in the cities. Crimes were high, thieves lurked in all the shadows, and the world cried out for a hero..."_

"Skip this part. Go straight to the Great Saiyaman."

Trunks fast-forwarded to the man standing on the building.

_"I am the defender of liberty and justice! Champion of the weak! Shielder of oppression! Take note! Peace will prevail on Earth! Saiyaman is here!_"

Pan ogled at the screen, her mouth hitting the floor.

"_Love is the answer, not war! I have come to set the captives free! Evil will shatter when it hears my name! Now oppressors will have nowhere to hide! I am the Great Saiyaman!"_

"Turn it off! Turn it off!!!"

Trunks shut off the film and with another button, shut off the T.V.

Pan stood and crossed her arms, glaring at Trunks, "How could you let my Papa get away with that awful and embarrassing routine?!" She clutched her hair as if agonized by the idea of it all. "And here I thought I was so _proud_ of him for defeating Cell, while he went and pulled THIS!!!" She pointed at Goku, "And you Grandpa!!! _You let him do this_?"

"Hey, hey, don't put any blame on me. I was in the Other World at the time. I only got to see him near the end of his little Great Saiyaman saga."

"Yeah, Pan, Goku wasn't even there when Gohan started doing that."

"I can't believe you just stood there and watched him make a fool of himself, Trunks."

"What was _I _supposed to do?! I was only seven when he started running around like that. Of course I thought it looked pretty bad, but I didn't want to _say _anything to him. Especially in front of my mom..."

"Why would your mom have anything to do with it?" Pan narrowed her eyes.

"Well, she _did _design that outfit. She might have taken it personally."

Pan threw up her arms in anguish, "That's it! I have lost all respect for _everyone!_ I can't believe I'm related to this family! No wonder Vegeta calls us all _clowns!!!_"

Goku yawned and stuffed his mouth, "Non worry Bam, vat wuzh chwenty yearsh ugo."

"Yeah, and I'm hearing about this for the first time _today _of all days?"

Trunks frowned as he stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Come on Pan, don't go overboard about this. It was supposed to be a funny joke, to show this to you. I really thought we'd be able to get a good laugh."

Pan slapped Trunks' hand away. "Well you _did_. And now you're just going to laugh at me for being _related_ to that bug."

"Nobody's laughing at you, Pan."

Goku nodded, "Yeah, Pan, I'm just as closely related to him as you are, and I'm not upset. You shouldn't take it all out on Gohan, though. Videl ran around dressed up just like him for some time after the whole Buu ordeal."

"My mom too?" Pan looked like she was going to be sick. "I have to get out of this room." She walked toward the door in a daze. "It's either the horrid smell of your burnt popcorn, Grandpa, or it could be the realization that I'm the spawn of two justice-enforcing _insects_... but I don't feel well. I'm going to bed."

Trunks watched as Pan left the room. He felt so guilty for some reason. He wished there were something he could to do make her happier, but he knew she'd just have to get over it and accept her parents for who they used to be in the past. Nobody had done anything they should be ashamed of. Well... except maybe Pan for losing her temper.

Goku nudged him in the side and winked, "So are we going to continue the movie or are you going to go after her?"

Trunks pretended to ignore him. It was all Goku's fault for butting in and foiling his surprise. He had every intention of breaking the news to her gently and they'd have been able to joke about it. But then he came along with his burnt popcorn and ruined the moment. Trunks turned without looking at the boy and walked out of the room.

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_Continued in Chapter 20..._


	20. Epiphany

_This chapter is a continuation of 19, as they were originally one chapter. If you haven't read 19, or have any doubts, it doesn't hurt to click the 'back button' just in case._

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CHAPTER 20:

Epiphany

He worked as hard as he could to clean up the mess that Goku made in the kitchen. Ten opened bags were thrown everywhere, on the counters and on the floor. The microwave had a thin layer of black soot lining it, which seemed almost impossible to get out. The whole kitchen reeked of burnt popcorn. It just made Trunks so angry that Goku could be such a slob.

Granted, Trunks knew that he himself wasn't the neatest person around and often left his things in a disorderly array back at home, but living with Goku and Pan really gave him a reality check. He suddenly felt like the maid, cleaning up after them, even though Pan spent most of her time complaining that she was the one doing all the work. He just accepted that as part of her personality: she liked taking the credit for things, yet blamed everyone else if something went wrong. However much that trait got on his nerves sometimes, he learned enjoyed it either way. It was just another thing that he'd grown to appreciate about her throughout the trip.

As he scrubbed the microwave, he found himself once again thinking about Pan. Lately, she had been on his mind more often. At first, after Kikaru a couple of months ago, it had unnerved him that he could waste so many hours of thought on the girl, but nowadays he found himself somewhat enjoying having her on his mind. She gave him a lot of things to think about.

He smiled as he remembered how she had snuck onto the ship, how angry he had been that day. He was upset enough as it was that he was being forced to go on the trip, but the only thing that had kept him from blowing up at his father was the fact that Goten would be coming along with him. Being able to travel with his best friend sounded like it could potentially have been fun. It also would have given them the chance to spend time with each other again, time which Trunks had severely been lacking these past few years of being the president of Capsule Corporation.

When he found out that Pan had come instead of Goten, all he could think about was how to return home and kick her off the ship. Although he knew he would never have acted on any of his ideas, he began to daydream about different ways he could maroon her on planets, leave her behind for a year, and then come back for her right before returning to Earth. He knew that she'd just get in the way, and it was all he could do to keep himself from strangling her.

What really ticked him off more than her audacious personality and impatience was the fact that she always, without exception, volunteered them to play "hero" in order to get the dragonballs. And then she would blame Goku or himself for getting them into trouble, claiming that she was the one who always seemed to rescue them or save their lives. For a very long time, Trunks bottled in his anger, doing his best to hide it, dreaming of how happy he would be if she somehow died, yet knowing if that were to happen, he most likely be just as upset as Goku. It had been nice to dream it, though.

That was until she had been turned into a doll by Lord Ludo seven months into the trip. They had been separated when she accidentally hijacked the Parapara brothers' ship and went to face Cardinal Muchi-Mochi alone to get the Six Star Dragonball. Trunks had seriously thought that he and Goku would never see her again after she was turned into a doll and thrown into that giant cauldron. It tore him up inside during the entire fight to free her, to get her back. Inwardly, he had blamed himself for everything that happened, for all the curses he had wished upon her. He didn't know what to do to get her back other than to fight for her, even after Lord Ludo had absorbed her, no matter how hopeless it had seemed at the time.

It was at that point he realized how much she had grown on him, how he was beginning to accept her as a friend. Crazy, wild, and immature, but still a friend. She was better than a lot of other people he knew in his life, and she never actually intended a lot of the grief that she caused him. She always meant well, and he felt a little nostalgic to realize this, as she began to remind him a lot of himself when he was younger.

For some time after that, he began to feel a little protective of her. Not much, but enough that when they went to M2 and ran into General Rildo and Dr. Myruu, Trunks found himself instinctively jumping in front of her, trying to shield her from attacks. He had spent a great deal of time pondering his actions and had at one point concluded that he did that because he was afraid that Pan getting hurt might mean an extra delay on the trip. Now, when he looked back, he wasn't so sure if it was that, or if it was the fact that he began to see her as more than a friend... more like... a partner with whom he could work alongside Goku to find the dragonballs. In either case, it was evidently clear that Trunks had still thought of her as baggage and would have preferred if Goten had come along instead.

However, their experience on Kikaru changed everything.

Trunks threw some extra kernels in the compost bin. He took out a paper towel, wet it in the sink, and began to wipe down the surface, staring beyond the tile as his memories tried to trace the recent events that had unfolded these past two months.

After letting out his steam during that spar with Goku, Trunks had never felt so alive. He was ready to take on anything, as if he were starting with a clean slate. He was even ready to marry the girl whom he had spent so long disliking with a passion. All for a dragonball. At least she had become his friend by that point, so it wasn't too hard on him. It was easy to just play it off as some game, some sick joke he could blame on Goku, but the memory of that day still stuck with him.

At the beginning of the trip, when he looked at Pan, he pictured confinement, a year-long babysitting job without any benefits except the brief chances he'd get to be alone in the cockpit and not have to worry about looking at her. He would think of how she stored the main operation key in her bra and slept with it for several weeks so he couldn't turn the ship around and send her back home. But after Kikaru, when he looked at Pan, he didn't see the brat so much anymore, but rather the gregarious young girl who spent too many years fantasizing of being the world's hero, to live up to her both her grandfathers and her father before her, to prove herself. Now, when he looked at her, he saw a blossoming young lady still trying to find her own identity, to figure out her future and who she wanted to be. He looked at her and he saw a companion, a girl whose ring he wore every day and never once tried to take it off. He saw her as a girl who had saved his life back on the Planet Vidal by just being there and supporting him when he was trying to fight so hard to save both Goku and himself.

It was on the Planet Vidal that he realized he _would have _died if Goten had come along on the trip. When he had been there, trapped in his own body, it was taking everything in his power to gain enough control to slightly deflect a ki blast. Pan had just stood there and watched him, afraid to touch him, for what Baby could have done to her in his body. Pan had watched him attack Goku and cried. Those tears brought him back as he struggled to regain control of his body.

Unlike Pan, Goten would have attacked him. He would have seen Trunks about to kill Goku, and he _knew_ Goten. He knew that his friend would have defended his father, even if it meant to attack and possibly kill Trunks. If Goten would have done that, Trunks would have never had the ability to regain control of his body again, assuming it would have been possible in the first place for him to find a way out of the void without that light that looked so much like Pan's face.

Trunks was no idiot. He was able to figure out that the burning in his finger directly correlated with that light that he saw on Pan's hand back on Ladrone (or "Planet Bulma" as Pan liked to call it). He knew that those rings were able to light up, as he had seen the same metal glow several times back on Kikaru. If he had not seen Babidi's magic in person twenty years ago, he would have had a hard time admitting that the rings could be magical themselves, triggering something inside them when they thought the other was in danger. The thought didn't settle well in his stomach, but he pushed that thought aside and began to think of Pan again, and what she had done to him back on that roof a week ago, before the whole incident happened where she went nuts on that blue haired girl and her husband.

She had hugged him. She had held him as if there were no tomorrow, throwing down all her walls and barriers so that she could express her need to have him close to her. It had come out of nowhere, as if it were something she had been holding in for a long time and couldn't hold back anymore. They had not talked about it since then, but like all things that happened on this trip so far, it had become a centerpiece of thought.

What got to him was that it didn't disturb him that she held him so close when she did. If she would have hugged him like that at the beginning of the trip, he would have pushed her away and told her to grow up. He would have torn her pride without a second thought and would have once again resumed his daydreams of abandoning her on some desert planet similar to the one they had encountered right before M2, convincing himself that he would not have been the source of her tears of rejection.

The more he thought about it, though, he realized that she _wouldn't_ have hugged him in the first place earlier in the trip. It was only after he started really opening himself up to her that she began to reciprocally lower her walls as well. At first, whenever she hugged anybody, it was always Goku. Yet, after the incident on the planet Vidal, she began hugging _him_.

He didn't count the kiss on Kikaru as any display of affection. It actually was quite the contrary. He had an inkling that she forced a kiss on him just to be spiteful about the fact that he refused to kiss her at the altar, not because she really wanted one. For all that he could tell, that most probably had been her first kiss. He knew that she had been having boy issues back on Earth before coming on this trip. For the first month of the journey, she had not shut up about it, so he knew that the kiss _should_ have meant something to her, even though she threw it away as if it were a weapon to stab his ego. That kiss was one of the last remnants of their bad terms, an encore to the strained relationship they had experienced for several months before.

But everything changed after Kikaru. He really began to realize how much she meant to him. But what she said... a best friend? Since when had he become her best friend? They had hardly hit it off in the beginning, and she was quite aware of the fact that he had wanted to replace her with Goten for a long time. But lately, these past two months, things had taken off for them.

It was as if they finally began to understand each other. He had finally learned to appreciate her enough that he no longer did things for her because he had to, but because he _wanted_ to. Just like tonight, he went out of his way to surprise her with that film, cooking popcorn for the two of them to share, sitting next to her and laughing with her for the short amount of time that it lasted.

The truth of the whole situation was that he only went out of his way for one other person in his life, and even his mother had never seen some of the smiles that Trunks had been wearing lately. Even though his body had grown older over the years, inside he was the same kid who always longed for adventure, no matter how dangerous it could be. However, at first, he had stunted that. He had put up barriers around that urge he felt inside. He had convinced himself that he had changed, that he wanted to play it safe, to stay out of harm's way. It helped him live through his days sitting behind a desk, not having to think about what journeys he could be taking, what new cultures and planets he could be exploring. The feeling had lain dormant in him for so long, it took Pan several months of grinding her personality into him for him to realize...no... not realize, but _remember_ the feelings he used to have, the person he used to be.

He realized now that he was glad she came on this trip. She had really affected his life, and was still affecting him. He was growing from her as she was growing on him. He was becoming a better person because of her friendship. If that didn't make her his best friend, he didn't know what would.

It was just funny that it had to take a marriage with her for him to begin to realize how much she meant to him.

He held out his hand and looked at his wedding ring. It was a translucent gold color, highlighting yellow reflections from the light above him. It really was a beautiful ring, and it held so much significance to him, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to take it off anymore.

Something seemed to hit his gut, and he found himself unable to breathe for a moment. He realized something. He realized that Goku had seen it all along, and he had been teasing them, not to anger them, but to get them to think about it... about... the possibility of them falling in love one day...

Trunks shook his head. But Trunks didn't _love _people. He appreciated, even adored people. He loved people as friends and as family. But being _in love _was not in his nature. He had never been in love, and he had no desire for it. That was a large part of the reason why he was still single and hadn't dated anyone since he was in college even though his mother kept persisting that she wanted grandchildren within her lifetime.

Besides, Pan was just a girl. Whatever feelings he was beginning to have for her now would fade after he would resume working in the real world. Just like his best friendship with Goten became a secondary priority, his best friendship with Pan would be doomed to the same fate. His life was just destined for disappointment.

However, he knew that he still had one more month with her. He wanted, more than anything, to keep her happy during these last weeks he'd have with her. It was just a shame that it took this long for him to realize how attached he had become to her. With or without Goku teasing him, he would do everything in his power to maintain his growing friendship with Pan.

Trunks stood back and admired the spotlessness of the kitchen. It looked brand-spanking-new. He folded his arms and nodded, impressed with his work. Now he had one more job to do. He turned off the kitchen lights and headed for the bedroom.

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As he opened the door, he noticed the lights were off and Giru was on standby mode on the edge of his bed. He looked up to the top bed and saw that Pan had nestled herself under the covers. He kept the door open a crack so he could see as he tiptoed as quietly as he could over to the side of her bunk.

The room was extremely cold, he noticed. It was one of the first rooms to experience the chill that he set on the thermostat. He had purposely kept the kitchen warm so as not to accidentally freeze all the food, but the rest of the ship had begun to get slightly icy.

He had set the temperature of the bedroom to be just above freezing, so they would not get hypothermia in their sleep. But it was still very cold. It was hard to imagine how freezing this new planet would be. He felt a slight bit of concern for Pan. He wanted her to stay healthy. Whatever Goku decided to do about the chill, Trunks really didn't care. It was Goku's responsibility to get a jacket, and since he didn't, he'd have to suffer for it. But Pan didn't deserve to be cold like this. He wanted to make sure she was okay. And, he wanted to apologize for his rudeness before. She had left the room on a bad note, and he wanted to make sure he could correct it.

Realizing her bed was too high for him to get a good look at her, he raised his ki slightly and levitated himself off the floor, hovering beside Pan's resting form.

He was only able to look at her a moment before she turned to him, her blanket covering her body up to her neck. She opened her eyes slowly and they just looked at each other for a time. He brought his left hand over and gently moved some bangs away from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Trunks whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings back in the lounge. I had assumed that you'd take the film lightly, and I was inconsiderate of your reaction." He rested his hand on her cheek briefly. "Can you forgive me?"

A long silence hung between them as they looked at each other.

Trunks watched her eyes in the dim lighting, his hand beginning to run his fingers through her hair in tender strokes. Her hair was so soft, it was a shame she always hid it under her bandana and didn't grow it longer.

The shadows made everything seem a dark shade of blue. The air felt crisp and they could see their breath forming slight clouds of condensation which merged into each other as their faces were so close.

She broke her gaze from him and looked down. "I'm cold."

He thought of her shivering under her covers. He held his breath in as he studied her face, and let it out when he smiled sadly, "It's going to get even colder tonight." His fingers brushed her cheek and traced her jawbone to her chin. His fingers lingered beneath her lips for a brief moment, then he ran them through her hair again, for once, appreciating how pretty she looked in the dim blue lighting, with her midnight hair splayed so carelessly about her pillow.

Pan smiled at him, her eyes lighting up as his gaze on her had changed from one of concern to one of adoration. She brought her right hand out from under her blankets and ran her fingers down his face similar to the way his own had had been tracing hers. Trunks brought his hand up and covered her hand with his, holding it still for a moment.

His eyes flickered a for a moment, as if deciding on whether he should say something that was on his mind. Pan wanted to ask him what was troubling him, why came in to apologize for something that was so trivial. She sensed there was a lot riding on the next words he chose. She watched him take a breath, his face completely serious.

"Pan..." Trunks looked into her eyes. "I want to do something... something I've thought about for some time, but something that is really important to me, and unless I do this now, it might never happen."

Pan frowned a bit and began to sit up, but his hand stopped her as he gave a reluctant smile. "I would like to know if..." His face became serious again and he leaned closer, "if I could give you our wedding kiss... properly."

She wanted to sit up straight and ask 'Where did that come from? Where are you going with this? Why now? Why a kiss? Why do you even care? How is that still on your mind? How would it make any difference?' and a thousand other questions raging in her mind. Instead, her eyes opened wide and she took a sharp intake of breath. She was confused, no, more than confused. She was completely dumbfounded as to how he could possibly come up with that after teasing her about her father not even two hours ago.

He moved his hand down to her cheek again, the adoration in his eyes scaring her. She was almost afraid that this wasn't Trunks at all, but the impostor that had attacked her several weeks ago during his haircut. What had happened to him? Why was he suddenly acting like this? She felt his fingers run through her hair again as he watched her. What was he doing? Why was he doing this? It felt so strange to have him touch her like that, to be affectionate with her. It was something she was not used to, and she was most definitely sure he didn't do this often with anybody.

She could feel herself blinking slowly, breathing deeply as her heart raced. Every time she blinked, it was as if her lids were getting heavier, as if she were falling under some lulling spell. She didn't like it. She felt like she couldn't control her own body anymore. Something had taken over Trunks and now it was taking her over too. She had no voice to call out for help, and even if she did, she didn't know if she could at this point. Everything was closing in fast. Her body froze, her eyes closed. It was a darkness that passed and blinded her. It scared her that she couldn't see, she couldn't watch him, couldn't see the look in his eyes anymore, could scarcely feel the hand that cradled her cheek. She barely felt his lips like feathers lightly touching hers.

And then suddenly, her mind went blank. Everything just seemed to shut off. All the panic and emotions that had been like a cacophony of music in her mind vanished. Her breathing stopped, her heart fluttered, the cold room slipped away as his lips lingered on hers like the first drop of rain before the storm.

And before she knew it, before she was able to bring her mind to its senses, it was over. It had only been for a brief moment, scarcely several seconds, but it was enough to cause her blood to rage inside her like rapids leading to a waterfall.

When she was finally able to open her eyes, she saw him still hovering next to her, smiling. She gaped back, at a complete loss of what to say. Everything that had been clouding her mind beforehand had just been swept away by the current.

"Sleep next to me tonight." Trunks stated it more like a question, his hand resuming its touch on her icy cheek. "Share my body warmth. I promise I'll keep you warm."

It all seemed to just happen out of nowhere. It was so surprising to Pan. She didn't know how to react, what to say. It would be her second time sleeping next to this impostor Trunks, but this time it was he who invited her to his side. "I..." She swallowed, trying to form a coherent phrase, "I thought you don't hold people."

He smiled and shook his head, "I don't..." He closed his eyes briefly and opened them looking beyond her, "But you're my best friend."

She could feel tears forming in her eyes. It was hard to believe that Trunks was doing this. He never did anything like this. She didn't think he was capable of doing something this sweet. She once again found herself at a loss for words and at a loss for thought.

She felt his hand retract a little and reach under her, picking her up from under her knees while his other arm moved under her back. He lifted her gently against his chest, blankets and all, and slowly brought his feet to the floor, lying her down in his usual resting place on the bed, the far side, against the window.

Trunks took her blankets and placed them back on her bunk as she got under the covers. After she was settled in, he nodded with a smile, "I'll be right back."

Trunks left the room quickly, determined to grab their coats from the lounge, knowing that if he didn't get them now, they'd have to run around in –100 degrees without proper clothing. As he entered the room, he saw the lights were still on and Goku had fallen asleep on the couch, a blue screen on the television where the movie had ended some time ago.

He opened the closet and took out a spare blanket to lie over the sleeping Saiyan. He grabbed the coats and shut off the television. Before leaving, he paused to glance back at Goku, then turned off the lights.

After he had finished making sure everything was shut down properly in the ship, he re-entered the bedroom, kicked off his shoes, and untied his bandana, lying it on a chair on top of some of Goku's gis. He walked over to the bed and slid under the covers, fully dressed because it was too cold for him to change. He turned to look at Pan.

Her eyes were closed and fluttering slightly. Her slow breaths made small clouds in the low temperature, and she seemed to be shivering slightly. He brought his hand up to her face and lightly traced her right eyebrow for a moment, thinking of how he had never watched her sleep before, and she looked so innocent and peaceful as she dreamed.

He hesitated a bit, and put his arm around her, drawing her closer so they could share more heat. She took one sharp intake of breath, as if she were on the verge of waking, and then relaxed, mumbling something incoherent under her breath.

He smiled slightly and whispered before closing his eyes, "Goodnight Pan-chan."

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When Goku awoke, it must have been several hours later. Someone had lain a blanket on him and left him to sleep on the couch. It was freezing cold, and Goku was shivering uncontrollably, his skin like ice.

"AaaaaaCHOO!" He sneezed a few times before his sinuses settled. He was so tired. He couldn't wait to get into his nice warm bed.

He yawned and stretched lazily, opening and closing his mouth to wake his muscles up a bit. He was hungry. That burnt popcorn started tasting pretty bad after a while, and even finishing off Trunks' and Pan's popcorn didn't settle his stomach. Perhaps he could wake up Pan and have her make him something.

As his brain was waking up, so was his common sense. _Oh yeah, she's not cooking for a week_. Goku scratched his head and considered waking Trunks up, but he thought against it. Trunks wasn't in the best of moods the last time he saw him.

He figured he'd just ignore his stomach and go to bed. He could make something when everyone woke up. He stood up and dragged the blanket with him out the door and to the bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar, so he pushed it gently, swinging it open silently. As the hall light hit the room, something interesting also hit his vision. Trunks and Pan were sleeping next to each other again, except this time Pan was in Trunks' usual spot and Trunks was on Goku's side. This was highly unusual. They didn't _accidentally_ fall asleep while under the covers together, did they? Why were they sleeping so close? What could this possibly mean? Goku's eyes lit up at the prospect of great grandchildren. It was happening right before his eyes. He knew it all along!

He raised his ki to hover above the ground, and flew silently to pick up the blankets from Pan's usual bunk. He'd let them have their privacy tonight. He could take the couch again, but he needed several more layers. In the morning, he'd have to complain to Trunks about the heating system being broken.

He closed the door with a little click and then decided to stop by the kitchen to refuel his stomach. When he entered the doors, it was as if a heat wave suddenly melted all the ice that had formed around his hair. It was delightfully warm in here! Turning on the light, he changed his plans and laid the blankets on the kitchen table while he grabbed some pre-made turkey sandwiches from the fridge.

The kitchen looked abnormally clean. He could have sworn that it looked nothing like this the last time he was in here. He shrugged and ate his sandwich, focusing on the turkey's flavor.

After he had his fill, he turned off the lights and lay down on the table, covering himself with one of the blankets. It was just like sleeping on the floor... except, on a table. The kitchen table: his favorite place in the entire universe.

He closed his eyes and thought of what Pan's children would look like someday. He imagined himself taking them to the park, riding on rollercoasters with them, eating ice cream and swimming in the ocean. He couldn't wait. If everything went well back on Earth, he could continue his little matchmaking game. It was all too easy.

His last thought before he fell asleep was that it just too bad that the camera was destroyed...

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_-Completed 10/27/04-_

_-Uploaded 10/31/03-_

(WARNING: Long Note. _Read at your own risk!!!_): As a Halloween present, I decided to post the chapter a day early. I hope you all had fun partying last night, and/or will get a ton of candy tonight. I think a part of my good mood came from the football win yesterday: Michigan beat Michigan State 45 to 37 (in the last 6 minutes of the game it was 10 to 27, so that was quite a comeback after three overtimes!). Have a Happy Halloween. I dressed up as Bulma and went to the Rocky Horror Picture Show where EVERYONE recognized me (hehe).

Anyway! Kudos to my faithful readers X) Already, you guys have read 133 pages of 12 pt single spaced Times New Roman font with over 77,000 words. And I haven't even gotten to the heart of the Baby Saga yet!!!

After writing this chapter, I realized how much I want to write a prequel to this story, covering all the Lost Episodes of "Goku's Humored" so people can really see how much the friendship between Trunks and Pan has truly evolved since the beginning. It will make a lot of my first chapters make a lot more sense, and it will also emphasize the fact that Trunks is, in fact, becoming a rounded character (rounded in English literary terms means his personality evolves throughout the story). If you go back 19 chapters (to Chapter 1) now, and start over, you'll notice how different his attitude was toward Pan. Imagine going back 40 chapters. Anyway, it's just a thought: the only other fan-fiction I can imagine myself writing.

Oh and I have one more comment, for one reviewer in particular, but I'm sure you all may want to hear this:

After the Baby Saga, the Z gang will get 3 wishes from Porunga (the Namekian dragon). The first is to wish back Earth (as was on GT), the second is to transfer everyone back onto Earth (implied in GT), and the third wish was completely disregarded in GT, which I shall, (like always), fill in: Goku will be wished back into an adult. Don't expect him to stay young the entire series. I agree with several reviewers of mine, little Goku can get severely annoying, and although I want to stick to the GT plot as much as I can, I just thought it was pointless for him to stay so young throughout GT after the Baby Saga. So, I'm fixing it. But don't lead yourself to believe that Goku being grown up is in any way going to make him less of a comic relief! I love Goku : )


	21. Meanwhile, Back on Earth

CHAPTER 21:

Meanwhile, Back on Earth...

It had been so long since they all had left. It pained her every day she walked by her son's room. He had never left her before. All his life, he had lived at home, even when in college. It was still so hard getting used to him being gone. Bulma found herself missing him more every single day, releasing her depression through having long talks with Chi Chi, who had been such a great friend to her, helping her get over her Trunks' absence by talking about her own trials of having to cope without Goku.

It wasn't just her Trunks who was getting her down, though. Everyone around her had been acting strange lately, as if some bug were going around and messing with their minds. It was a little surreal watching all the Z fighters come down with this illness. At first, she had been panicked that it was some strain of the viral heart disease or something similar to that. None of her friends were answering her calls anymore, and her own husband had been taking to ignoring her. At first, she assumed that she must have done something wrong. It wouldn't have been the first time she had accidentally let some comment slip that managed to upset people, but still, something just wasn't right. Although Chi Chi and Bra were acting the same, the world around them was growing darker. Bulma just assumed it had to do with everyone's stress regarding the black star dragonballs. Goku and Trunks should have returned by now. There was only a month to go before everyone would die.

Even if the world were to explode, though, it made her happy to know that her son was safe. That glimmer of happiness is what had been holding her together lately, with everyone beginning to act so strange. She wasn't quite sure how it all started, or when. She remembered when Goten came home one day from a date two weeks back, he had been angry about something. He had even punched Gohan for no reason. Bulma had assumed it was because his date had gone badly. When she was younger, before she met Goku, she had often come home with those same angry spells. It was enough for her to actually go out of her way to create a dragon radar, or a "bleeper" as she used to call it back in the day, to actually wish for the perfect boyfriend, so she'd never have to go through all that rejection again.

Bulma's eyes rolled up as she sat back on the sofa, thinking about her childhood adventures with Goku. She never did end up finding that perfect boyfriend. She ended up with Yamucha, of all people...

Her eyes narrowed as she thought of how Yamucha ended up becoming a real asshole for a while, completely leaving her in the dirt while he went to go flirt with other women. It made her realize how much she wanted a man who would be faithful no matter what, even if he treated her like dirt. And, she found Vegeta. He most definitely would never sleep with _any_ other woman, and at first it had hurt her that he was too proud to show her love, but when she found out she was pregnant with her Trunks, everything else in the world didn't matter anymore. She finally had someone whom she could love more than anyone else in the world, and would return her love just as much. And she wouldn't have to worry about him running to other women and forgetting her.

Trunks had always been there for her, ever since then. He had always respected her, showed her his love in his own way, by doing things for her without question, anything that would make her happy. She loved Trunks so much, and it was so hard for her to get used to him being away. He had _always _lived with her. She loved Bra, too... but there was something about her Trunks, perhaps being her first-born, or just being a good friend in addition to being her son, that really completed her family.

He would be turning twenty-nine tomorrow, and he was not back yet. She had been looking forward to throwing him a welcome-home party and a birthday party all in one, but when she heard no word from him, she figured she'd just throw an extra large bash for his big 30th birthday. Wow... more than twenty nine and a half years had passed since she found out she was pregnant with her son. Her life had come such a long way since then. She was over 30, herself, when she had Trunks, and she had been beginning to feel like an old maid, seeing how Goku and Chi Chi had a son ten years before her, even though she was so much older than Goku at the time (then again, she was older than _ever _compared to Goku, because of Pilaf's stupid wish to make him a child again...).

She wondered if Trunks could possibly have children any time soon. Although she had been amusing herself by inventing some things in her spare time from being retired, she still longed for tiny footsteps to run along the carpet, hugging her leg and calling her 'Grandma.' Well, maybe not '_Grandma_'... that would make her feel old. She'd think of something they could call her, later.

She sighed and leaned forward in the sofa, running her fingers through her short hair, wondering if she should grow her hair out again. It had been a long time since she had long hair, and she still had all her old headbands from when she was younger. Her hair was one of her most distinctive features all her life. The only other girl that had hair remotely similar to hers was Krillin's first girlfriend, Marron.

Bulma growled at the memory. She absolutely detested that Marron. She was such an idiot, and all she ever did was insult Bulma and Chi Chi by calling her a grandma _long_ before Trunks was born. In fact, that was even before she met the other Trunks... the one from the future. That was a long time ago.

She never understood how Krillin could name his own daughter after that airhead, or how Android Eighteen actually _let_ him name Marron after his ex-girlfriend. When Trunks was born, she had absolutely _no_ intention of _ever_ naming her son "Yamucha." What a scary thought...

That brought her mind back to her friends who had been acting strange lately. She was supposed to have met with Yamucha today before his baseball game. He had been coaching the Titans for a long time, now, and a few days ago, he told he'd treat her to a night out with the team to get her mind off of the fact that her husband was acting so strange, lately. She needed a night out, but when she tried to call Yamucha earlier, he hung up on her, without any reason why. It was as if he, too, were angry with her for something she did. It hurt her to have to call off her night out with Yamucha, but then again, it wasn't the first time he had disappointed her. She should have just expected that.

She was so confused, why everyone suddenly started acting so mean. If it were some kind of flu, she should have been hit with it too. If the Saiyans were susceptible to falling ill, she should have been dead by now. Gohan was the next to become sick, after Goten. He was so under the weather, he had completely forgotten to bring Goten back home after they went sparring the day when Goten came home and punched him. Piccolo had showed up, carrying Goten as if taking out the trash, not looking too good himself, and left before Gohan found out that he stopped by.

And Goten had been very sick when Piccolo brought him back. It was the first time Bulma had ever seen a Saiyan in a fever. He had had a seizure that Gohan had completely ignored, but it drove Chi Chi crazy, not knowing what had happened to her son. It had been happening to everyone now. All those who were close to her were dropping like flies.

Perhaps she could convince Vegeta and Bra to go on a vacation with her somewhere, to get away from the plague that was going around. She'd have invited Trunks, too... but he wasn't here. He was up in space, having a vacation of his own with Goku and Gohan's daughter.

She wondered how that trip was going, other than getting the dragonballs. Trunks and Gohan's daughter had never been close before. They barely knew each other when they left. Bulma herself had not seen Pan since she was little. Trunks had babysitted Pan a few times when she was still a baby, but he only really went to accompany Goten, who would beg her Trunks to come and relieve him of some of the babysitting stress. It wasn't as if Trunks had been personally close to her. It must have been such a shock to him to find out she was a stowaway and Goten never came along on the trip. If his attitude were anything remotely close to Goten's view, she wouldn't be surprised if Trunks disliked her a great deal. However, with Goku on the trip, everything would work out. He was so fun to travel with. There were times when she was younger, she wondered what her life would have been like if she had actually given Goku and herself a shot. Especially when she was single, when Yamucha was in the Other World and before she really got to know Vegeta, she found herself daydreaming of Goku, being married to the strongest man in the universe, and perhaps the silliest guy she'd ever know.

After a long time of pondering it, though, she had realized it was better that she never liked him more than a friend. She needed someone who could not just tolerate her violent temper, but who could mentally challenge her as well (and, of course, never cheat on her like that baka, Yamucha). She loved Vegeta, even though he could be so obstinate sometimes. With Vegeta, she not only got her Saiyan prince and intelligent companion, but through him, she got her Trunks. And, she missed Trunks so much, it pained her that he was gone so long...

"Woman."

Bulma turned around in the sofa to look at her husband, who she had not seen very much of lately. "Oh hi, Vegeta, what's up?"

"Come here." He stood in the center of the room with his arms crossed, looking intimidating. Bulma had gotten used to that look a long time ago, and no amount of glares could ever shake her nowadays.

"No, you come here if you want to talk. I don't want to get up."

"Come here _right now_, woman, or else I will make you regret it."

"What's up with you, Vegeta?" Bulma frowned at his attitude. He hadn't acted this rude in a long time. Within the past few years especially, after Goku had left to train Uub, Vegeta had softened a lot, and had opened up to her. She assumed that it was because of their daughter. Ever since Bra was born, Vegeta had a hard time keeping his emotions bottled up. He really loved his daughter, and was willing to do anything for her, even shave that ridiculous mustache he had been so proud of for some time.

"Come here. I'm not going to ask again."

_That's not really asking..._ Bulma sighed and stood up from the sofa. She walked over to her husband, putting her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes. "Yes, your majesty?"

Before she could blink, his fist swung around and landed her in the cheek, sending her flying into a wall, cracking several of her ribs and loosening several of her teeth in the process. Her eyes opened wide as she tried to stand up, her legs shaking in surprise and fear. "Vegeta!? _Why?!_"

"Don't play me as a fool, woman! I know that you and Yamucha were supposed to meet today. That's the last time you'll _ever_ get a chance to betray me!"

"But... but Vegeta, I _told_ you about it. It was just supposed to be..." Bulma closed her eyes and tried to stop her tears of pain from flowing, "It was just..."

What happened to him? Why was he doing this? There was no reason for him to get upset. She went out with Yamucha every other few months for lunch, and he never had a problem with it. He knew that he could trust her. He had never cared before, he had never been jealous. Vegeta had never been the jealous type. What was wrong with him? Not just him... what was happening to everybody? Why was everybody beginning to act so violent and strange?

As she watched him with wide eyes, his hair grew light and a fire blazed in his eyes. Was he transforming? Why was he going Super Saiyan? He never did this to her! "Don't.... don't kill me, Vegeta, please. I didn't do anything, I swear it!"

Vegeta leaned his head back and cackled in a strange high-pitched voice. "I know that, woman, but I would have much preferred it if you _did_ do something to hurt this worthless Saiyan trash."

"Vegeta...?"

"I'm tired of you sitting around and scheming things behind my back!"

His laugh was maniacal, his skin a shade lighter, with red veins pulsating from his face to look like lines running across his skin. His hair was not blonde... it was white. What was this? Some new version of Saiyan transformation? What was going on? Who could save her from this monster? She felt tears forming in her eyes... Where was Trunks, to defend her?

"Vegeta... please..."

He threw his right hand to her neck, pinning her against the wall, and began to squeeze effortlessly. Bulma had never felt this fear as she felt now. Not even on Namek, when she had repeated dreams about him coming to kill her, did she feel this afraid.

"Vegeta..." She gasped, tears flowing freely, "I..." She struggled to breathe, her hands trying so hard to pry his fingers from her throat. "I... I love you..."

His fingers released their hold on her, and instead she found him pinning her to the wall with his body. She tried to gasp for air, but found his mouth covering hers as he forced a painful kiss on her. She tried to push him off of her, but he pushed his body even closer to hers, his raised ki burning into her as she sobbed against his face. He was hurting her; he was scaring her.

Her eyes opened as wide as they could go as she felt something extremely cold shoot into her mouth and down her throat, thick and suffocating, as if she were swallowing liquid metal. What... what was happening?!

She felt her body jerk and begin to spasm. He was killing her... He was killing her from the inside and the outside, making her body tremble and not giving her air to breathe. She closed her eyes tightly. Something was wrong, not just his face pressed against hers, his hands on her waist, pinning her helpless. She was losing feeling, her head becoming cloudy. It all seemed to happen at once. She opened her eyes and saw that her vision had completely blacked. Her voice was becoming distant as she choked in air, clutching her stomach. She felt herself fall to the floor, a presence standing over her.

Who was that? Who was there? Why was she here? What was going on?!

It was as if a thousand ice needles drove their way into her flesh and then heated up to boil inside her skin, causing her to seizure from pain. She could feel herself scream, but no sound came out. Everything had gone silent. Everything was dark.

And then, as suddenly as the sensations appeared, they left.

She felt nothing - no worries, no pressures, no cares.

She sensed her vision coming back, her feeling returning to her body. She sensed herself stand and look Vegeta in the eyes. No, not Vegeta. Her master.

She felt her voice start, cool and emotionless, "How may I serve you... Lord Baby?"

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-_11/2/04_-


	22. Torn Emotions

Watch DBGT this Saturday night 10:00pm (Nov. 6th)! It's IMPORTANT to my story.

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CHAPTER 22:

Torn Emotions

_Fresh rotisseried chickens dangled on poles like shish kabobs glazed with honeyed sauce. Warm turkey carvings decorated with cranberry jelly and coated with mashed potatoes covered each plate, with sides of fresh carrots and green beans, marinated in a homemade vinaigrette. A cornucopia of exotic foods iced the table – venison and Cornish hen, stuffed with breads and herbs. Curried lamb and perfectly-roasted delicacies emitted mouth-watering aromas of pumpkin spices and cinnamon . Sides of crepes and hummus and fruits and vegetables trimmed the plates with reds and greens, framed by deep fried chicken wings and pepperoni pizzas. Spaghetti rained like hair from mounds of pasta, brought out with various sauces – meat sauce, cheese sauce, cream, tomato, carbonara, puttanesca, pesto – all in large colorful bowls arrayed in a circle around garlic breads and chips with dipping sauces of creamed spinach and artichoke hearts. Steamed fish glazed with lemon pepper were served alongside white wines. _

_Beside the buffet, on an adjacent table, pink pastries and cakes beckoned, sided by crème bruleés and îles flottantes. Baked apple pies and turnovers steamed from being fresh out of the oven. Chocolate caramel brownies lined with ice creams and cookies puddings, torts and tarts, peppermints and chocolates and candies..._

_Someone was coming into the room – light purple hair, vague face, hard to make out. Everything was so blurry except for the food, but it could have been, it maybe was Trunks. It had to be Trunks. He was walking over to the tables. He was sitting down. He began to eat. He gathered things onto his plate and began to feast as if he were a bottomless pit._

"_No wait, save some for me!"_

_The world became warped. Almost all the food was gone now. Trunks was still eating, everything was still so blurry. _

_Anguish, fear, betrayal, hunger. More than anything, hunger. Those were the feelings right now. Sadness._

_All that food... and Trunks was eating every last bit of it. At least, it could have been Trunks, but the person began to blur into a similar creature with a purple head._

_Frieza finished off the last of the crumbs. He laughed diabolically and patted his stomach as he stood up and left the room._

_It was gone! Every last bit of that smorgasbord was gone! GONE!_

"Nooooooo!" Goku flailed his arms out and fell off the table, landing on the kitchen floor with a booming thud that shook the whole room.

He lay there a few minutes, sprawled on the ground, his eyes wide open in disbelief. That was the most horrible nightmare _ever_...

He sniffled slightly and sat up, rubbing his head where it smacked the ground. He looked around and saw that the kitchen was dimly lit and the microwave clock said that quite a few hours had passed since he fell asleep.

As he stood up, he let out a slight moan as his back cracked. It was so sore from sleeping on that hard table. He had really spoiled himself by sleeping in a bed for so long. He remembered the days when he was just a boy, hunting for dragonballs with Bulma. She always made him sleep on the floor. Knowing her, Goku wouldn't be surprised if Vegeta ever had to endure the same treatment.

It made him smile slightly, thinking of how the "Prince of all Saiyans" might be reduced to sleeping on the floor. Bulma really had a way of persuading people to do things like that. He wondered what Bulma was up to nowadays. He missed his best friend. He'd be sure to stop by after they would return home. And, after visiting Chi Chi, of course. He could really go for some of her home-made noodles right about now.

He sighed and blinked, making his way over to the kitchen light slowly, careful not to trip on anything. After clicking on the light, he squinted and heard a low growl. He frowned and brought his hands to pat his stomach, saying aloud to no one in particular, "I'm hungry..."

He immediately thought of going to ask Pan or Trunks to make him something, but then remembered the night before, and opted against it. Lately, they both had been getting upset about cooking for him.

Goku's eyes lit up as a brilliant thought came to him. Maybe _he_ could attempt to cook something for a change! He laughed and thought of how happy they would be to get breakfast in bed. Now, the big decision was _what_ he could make.

He walked over to the table and sat down in his usual chair, leaning elbows onto the surface and propping his head in his hands. His eyes rolled up as he pondered what he actually was _good_ at making: fish. For breakfast.

_Hmm.... Pancakes and fish? Waffles and fish? Cereal, milk and fish?_

It was so hard for him to choose. He felt like banging his head on the table to knock some ideas into him.

_Eggs, fish and bacon?!_

He groaned when no good ideas could come to him. He'd just have to experiment with different mixtures of ingredients to find out what might actually taste good with fish.

He opened the cupboards and the refrigerator and spent several minutes taking out everything they had. He laid all the ingredients on the countertops, on the microwave, the stove, the kitchen table, and anywhere else there was room for the food, leaving the cutting board available for experimentation.

When all the hundreds of ingredients were laid out in front of him, stacked on top of each other, arranged in categorical piles, he grinned broadly and wrapped an apron around his body. With his heart racing, he realized with glistening eyes that this was going to be one of the toughest battles he'd ever experience.

----------

Everything seemed so right. He was so relaxed, feeling as if he had attained some sort of nirvana, his life just seeming so perfect, so calm and assured, so warm. He wasn't even quite aware of where he was, still in a dazed state, half dreaming and half waking. It felt so good, whatever it was that he was believing himself to feel. He wasn't even sure what was supposed to feel this nice. Everything just seemed so hazy, his memory failing him as he couldn't quite place where he was, or where he was supposed to be.

He didn't want to move, but somehow he vaguely sensed himself shifting slightly. Or maybe it wasn't him. If not him, then what could have moved? "Ahh..." He took a deep breath and felt a tingling feeling somewhat return to his body. Another deep breath followed and he shifted again. This time it was he who shifted, for certain. "Mmnn..." He yawned and moved his head slightly with the intake of air. Something brushed his nose, tickling it slightly, and he instinctively tried to rub it against his pillow to relieve the itching feeling. The pillow however, tickled him even more, and he dug himself deeper, to a wall of some sort. It was soft, but it felt good, and it was warm.

He yawned again, and stretched his limbs, feeling sensations returning. His arms were around something, but... not a pillow. What was it? Ahh...? Oh yeah...

He let out a breath and opened his eyes slightly, trying to regain control of his mental coordination. The memory of the night before began coming back to him. He was holding Pan, and he had buried his face into her neck. It all seemed to come together.

He took another breath, and released it, noticing the trail of steam. He was still so groggy from having overslept. Well, it might have been that he overslept, but then again, it could have been only a short time since he fell asleep. There was no way to judge time when in space without a watch.

As if on cue, his watch began emitting short high-pitched beeps in a steady rhythmic tempo. They weren't very loud, but considering the silence of the room, they seemed to be piercingly annoying. They managed to jolt Trunks fully awake and restore all of his alertness at once.

It suddenly hit him that he was holding Pan in a rather intimate and embarrassing way, with both his arms wrapped around her, as if protecting her from something, as he had buried his nose in her hair. What was worse was that her _own_ arms were wrapped around _him_, her right hand touching his neck while her left was somehow wrapped around his back. Any attempt on his part to untangle himself from her, without waking her, was virtually impossible. He didn't even _want_ to know how he and she got into this position. He was definitely glad he stayed in his clothes last night, or else this would have been _very_ awkward if he were wearing only his underwear.

The beeping continued and Trunks didn't know what to do in order to turn it off. Just great! Waking up like this, having an alarm go off right next to Pan's ear, and Trunks was somehow trying to come up with a plan of escape. He really could see no way out of this one. This was the last time he'd ever sleep next to her. If he ever had to do endure this again, he'd just die from embarrassment.

Pan began to stir, tightening her grip on him slightly, then released her hold lazily as she yawned into his forehead. She groaned a little bit and tried to pull away, but stopped when she found she couldn't. Something, as in poor Trunks, was holding her in place. She took a breath and groaned again, her head tilted away from him this time. "Turn it off, Papa. I don't want to go to school..." She moaned and brought her head back, tightening her hold on Trunks. "It's the weekend... I swear it... no... no school."

Trunks slowly and gently raised his left hand from around her waist, bringing it out from under the covers so he could get a better look at the urgent message that decided to pop up. His eyes were still adjusting to waking, and he squinted so he could get a better look at the LCD screen.

_Really?!_ Trunks' eyes widened as he suddenly sat up straight to get a better look at his watch, completely forgetting how Pan was a tangled mess around him. She flopped back as the covers came shooting off her and screamed in shock as the freezing cold air hit her entire body all at once.

She instinctively kicked out while flailing her arms, sending Trunks sprawling out of the bed, taking _all_ the blankets with him in the process as he shouted in surprise. "What do you think you're doing, Pan?!"

"How could you _do this to me?!_ It's _FREEZING_ in here!" Pan lunged out for the blankets and ended up toppling over him, landing on the floor and ripping the sheets in half.

They both lay on the floor, stunned for a brief moment, before Trunks widened his eyes, "Look what you did! You destroyed the blankets!"

"What _I_ did?! YOU were the one who tore them off the bed!"

"You kicked me! What else was I supposed to do?!"

Pan threw down her half of the blankets, standing angrily, "I don't know! Maybe, _apologize_ for freezing me to death?" She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

Trunks narrowed his eyes, "I can't believe you, Pan." He opened his mouth again, about to say 'You're so obnoxious sometimes,' but thought better of it. He didn't want to start a war with her this late in the game. He sucked it up and growled, "I'm sorry." He _really _didn't mean it, though.

"_Now_ what am I supposed to do?" Pan shivered and glowered at him.

"Go put on your ten billion layers of sweaters. That might help. Oh, and your jacket, too. I brought those back in." As Trunks pointed to the jackets, he realized that he had begun to shiver as well. It seemed a lot colder than freezing at the moment. He might have accidentally set the dial too low for the room. In his temper, he had almost completely forgotten the freezing temperature of the room. Both the memory of him holding her so closely just minutes ago had still been making him red hot from blushing. Pan had most likely took his red face for anger, though. Maybe it was best that they ended such a 'romantic' moment the tragic way they did. He hoped, more than anything, that she was not aware of their sleeping position by the time she woke up.

A noise jolted him from his thoughts. It occurred to him that his watch was still beeping. He grabbed the remains of the blankets and sat down in the bed, wrapping them around himself as he brought his watch up to look at the message again. With his right hand, he pressed the side button on the watch that would silence the alarm. He wasn't sure how to interpret the alarm. On one hand, it saved him from certain embarrassment from Pan waking up to find herself in his arms, and on the other hand, it got him in deep trouble with the girl, and he most likely would not hear the end of it for several days, as she was known for holding stupid and trivial grudges.

"So what was that alarm about, anyway?" Pan was in the process of putting on her sweaters, buffing herself out to look wide in the process.

He smirked slightly as he tightened the blankets around him. "It's my birthday."

"Oh." Pan paused with a yellow sweater over her head to look at him. "Happy Birthday." She donned the sweater and pointed at him, "But it was not worth ripping the blankets to announce it to me."

"What?!" Trunks frowned, "Pardon my memory, Pan, but I believe I remember _you_ ripping the blankets."

"Stop putting all the blame on me!"

"Augh!!!!" Trunks stood up, the now many-blankets swirling with him. "That's it. I'm going to find Goku. You're just going to drive me _nuts_."

"FINE! Go, then! See if I care."

"Bye."

"Bye!"

Trunks stormed toward the door, but was met with a forceful tug on his blanket coat in mid-stride. He stopped and turned to glare at Pan, who suddenly looked incredibly guilty.

"You're... not really going to leave me, are you?"

"Honestly, Pan, it's not like I can go _far_. I'm going to the lounge."

"Wait..." Pan looked down at her feet, and bringing her arms around herself to keep warm. "I..."

Trunks sighed and rolled his eyes, not in the mood for a stupid apology. "Pan, listen to me, and I'm only going to say this once." He looked at her and shook his head, "Sometimes you can act like a real brat." He pointed to her and gave her a watchful look, "And that's _constructive_ criticism, mind you. Otherwise, I wouldn't be saying this to your face." Pan looked up, her eyebrows knotted as if preparing for him to throw another insult. "I know one day you're going to grow up, and if you keep that bratty trait all of your life, you're going to continue to drive away _all _those boyfriends of yours. And you will drive _me_ away, too. Don't expect to keep best friends long if you can't appreciate things they do for you."

"How could you say that, Trunks? Of course I appreciate you..."

He waved her comment away as if it were some fly, "I'm going to find Goku."

She reached out and grabbed his blanket coat again, "Wait, please, listen to me." When she saw that he wasn't moving, she looked up with pleading eyes. "I want to make it up to you. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, really, Trunks. Let me have those blankets. I'll mend them back together. I'll spend all day doing it, if I have to. Let me fix them..."

"You? Sew?" Trunks' eyebrows went up in slight disbelief. "Have you ever sewn anything before?"

"No... but I can do it. It's not too hard to figure out."

"Pan..." He sighed, thinking she was making a bigger deal of this than it should be. "I'll handle the blankets. Really, don't worry about it."

"But, Trunks, I _want_ to do it. I'll even do all your chores today, as a birthday present. And I'll do anything else you ask. Let me make it up to you."

He groaned and put his hand to his forehead, leaning back on the wall. He had grown immune to the brown-nosing treatment a long time ago. He tended to suffer from it rather frequently when at the office. Especially from young secretaries who couldn't help but throw in a flirtatious comment, dreaming of the day he'd ask them for their phone number. The last thing he needed was Pan pulling a puppy-dog face and trying to win his favor back by doing things for him, but he really was not in the mood to fight about it.

"Fine, you know what, take the blankets." He dropped all the blankets to the floor and walked as calmly as he could to where his overcoat was. What a horrible start to his birthday. What was he thinking last night, when he decided to forgive and forget the Pan whom he disliked for so long during the beginning of the trip? She hadn't changed at all; he did. And the fact that he had felt such adoration for her proved to him how much he had changed.

He was glad she came on the trip. She saved his life several times, and he had already concluded that he no longer wished that Goten had come instead of her. But, Kami, why couldn't she just act a little more _mature_? He turned to her, sporting his new coat. "Okay, _now_ I'm going to find Goku."

"Can I come too?"

"Pan, this is a spaceship, for Kami's sake. Of course you _can_ come along. You even _may _come along if you like. What do you expect I'll do? Tie you to a subway rail and leave you for the Great Saiyaman to rescue?"

She looked down again, sniffling a bit, "Don't.... d-don't be mad at me, Trunks. I'm s-s-sorry..."

"Oh no..." She was beginning to cry again. He hated when she cried, especially when it was over him. It was like a trump card she could play to win any battle against him. He always felt like such a schmuck afterwards. "Pan... Pan don't..." He sighed and lightly embraced her, careful not to hold her tight enough lest it could be considered a hug. "Pan, I'm sorry, too. Come on, don't cry. Come on..." He brought his right hand to gently lift her chin to look at him. He gave a sad smile, but made it as encouraging as he could at the moment. "You're still my best girl."

She sniffled and smiled brightly, hugging him tightly. "I didn't think you'd let a couple of blankets come between us..."

Trunks scoffed and shook his head, grinning, "We've had worse happen to us lately." He chuckled and stressed, "A lot worse."

"Speaking of bad things happening... where is Grandpa, anyway?" Pan looked to her usual bunk and saw the sheets were missing, too. Both beds were completely stripped clean of blankets. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this..."

"Oh don't worry about him. He's probably up to leveling his video game character up so he can beat your Mr. Satan guy."

"But Trunks... he didn't come in and harass us for sleeping together. He took my bed sheets last night and left. Something fishy is going on." She looked around, startled by yet another thing, "And where's Giru?"

"He probably left to find Goku. That 'bot only needs a few hours of charging up before he's ready to start bleeping again." He smiled and looked down at her, "We may have bored him away."

Pan smiled and broke their casual embrace. She picked up the sheets and threw them onto the bed. "It's too bad he missed quite a show."

Trunks made his way to the door and opened it slightly, feeling all the heat, if one could consider the freezing temperature 'heat,' being sucked from the room. It was terribly cold out in the hallway. But that wasn't all.

Trunks, being the closest to the door, was the first to smell it. At a first whiff, it might have been considered appetizing, the smell of garlics and spices in the air. But as it sunk into his nostrils, the odor turned rancid. It smelled so bad, he found his body trying to hold back a gag. "What the hell is that smell?!"

"What smell?" Pan looked up from donning another layer of clothing

Trunks opened the door, letting all the cold air in, including the odor. "This smell!" He watched as Pan's eyes grew wide and her face turned green.

----------

Trunks was determined to rid the ship of that smell, no matter at what cost. Goku was most definitely behind this one. There was no other explanation. He marched out of the bedroom and through the hall with Pan trailing behind. He made his way to the kitchen and threw open the doors with a loud slamming _bang!_

The next moment passed in what seemed like slow motion. There was Trunks, standing in front of Pan, looking in shock at Goku in a little baker's hat, who was covered, from head to toe in brown and red and green globs of food. Trails of innards and raw meats were everywhere, from the ceiling to the floor. Gelatin squares were smashed and rubbed into every tile crack. A dozen chopped vegetables lay in funeral piles across the floor, discarded as if trash, littering the entire kitchen wall-to-wall. Giru sat on the table, his legs crossed, watching the chef in action.

Trunks stood open-mouthed, wide-eyed, gaping in a deep and traumatic shock.

Goku turned to face the two with a wide grin on his face. "Oh wow, you guys are just in time! I made a special treat for you. I decided to call it the 'Blisheemcheese'."

Trunks found his breath caught in his throat. He only managed to make choking sounds as he felt the world begin to spin.

Goku continued, unfazed. "It consists of bagels, smoked fish – specially cooked by me – and cream cheese."

"Wh....wha.." Trunks bent over, his left arm clutching his stomach as his right tried to lean himself on the doorframe, keeping his balance, however unsteady it was at the moment. "Wh..." His tongue found it so hard to make the words, "What... what did you _DO_?!"

Goku frowned, "Are you asking about my other creations? I also made the turkamalami paté, chickambrocizza salad, and my favorite so far: the sushi sandwich."

"You... you _ruined_ my _kitchen!!!_" He couldn't breathe. His grasp on the door faltered and he found himself losing his balance. Faintly, he realized that Pan was holding him up, but he had lost control of his legs. He still felt like he was suffocating, even though he was gasping for air.

"Oh, if you're talking about the smell, it's from all the fish I cut up. It'll air out in a bit."

"You... _FOOL_, Goku!!! We _can't_ air this place out! We're in _SPACE_!!!" He felt his balance return and his arms flew up, "I spent _two hours_ cleaning this kitchen last night, _cleaning up after you!!!_ What the _hell is this?!_" Trunks suddenly lost all the balance he had gained, dropping to his knees, his hands on the ground in front of him, trying to prop himself up. The whole ship was reeling. Everything was so thick, the air, the smell, his body... He couldn't find the breaths he needed to sustain himself. Everything was going black.

Giru began to scream out "Danger! Danger!" Goku shouted something muffled.

In his desperate attempt to breathe, he felt hands on his shoulder, Pan's distant voice, "Trunks? Trunks are you okay? Trunks answer me!"

He tried to get his voice to work, to make a sound, any sound, even a whimper. He felt like he was dying, being torn in half by something in his lungs, painfully piercing him every time he tried to intake a breath. He wanted to call out to Pan. He wanted to reach out to her, to touch her, to find something real to grasp in his life. Everything was spiraling away from him so fast...

"Trunks?! Trunks stop it! Trunks, snap out of it! Grandpa, what's going on?!"

"Get away from him, Pan!"

"No! I won't let this happen to him!!!" Pan knelt before Trunks and took his shoulders in her arms, looking at his face. His eyes were wild, searching, seeing something beyond his vision. "Trunks, look at me." She saw he was struggling to breathe, and tried to summon as much courage a she could to bring her hand to brush his cheek. His skin singed her flesh like a blazing fire.

He was burning up with a fever, beyond anything she had ever felt. "Trunks, just keep breathing." She got on her knees and wrapped him in a tight hug, holding him as close to her as she could, as if protecting him from something, and not even sure what it was.

She held him tightly as his breathing began to slow, as his eyes closed against her neck. It seemed like forever and eternity had passed, with her holding him on the floor, the cold air of hallway creeping in through the kitchen door, Goku standing, unsure of what do to, conflicting emotions raging inside him.

"Is it..." Pan hesitated, "Is it over?"

Goku's eyes narrowed. "Pan, get away from him. Now, Pan!"

Pan felt Trunks begin to laugh into her... no, it was more like a malicious cackle that rumbled from his core. She pulled back a bit to look at him, and his eyes were closed as he threw his head back and roared as if it were a sick comedy hour. "Trunks...?"

Trunks brought his face back to look at her. His normal blue cerulean eyes seemed to be glazed over, filled with hatred and madness. "How touching," his voice was cold and scratchy, "Would this make you my whore?" He laughed diabolically, and shoved her away from him. "Don't expect any pay, sweetheart. You're the ugliest rat I've ever seen."

Pan's eyes went wide as she landed on the floor. She rolled out of her position and stood quickly, getting into a fighting pose, her face red with fury. "You care to say that again, asshole?!"

"It's not even worth repeating to a dog like you. I should just put an end to your misery. Goodbye, rat. Consider this a lesson for touching me." Trunks brought his hands before him and began to charge up a red ki blast.

Goku appeared in front of Trunks and laid a blow that smacked him into the kitchen wall, cracking it as the bathroom tiles had been damaged some weeks ago. "I knew you'd come out again, sooner or later, Baby! Your fight is with me!"

Trunks stood on his feet and roared in laughter again, pointing at Goku as if he were a clown. "You're an idiot, little boy, but I am flattered that you have mistaken me for the great Lord Baby." When he brought his eyes back to look at Goku, there were dark flames in his eyes. "Considering you are Saiyan filth, I would commend you for having enough smarts in that_ peanut _in your monkey head, to conclude that all great things in this universe boil down to Lord Baby."

Pan's eyes narrowed, "_Lord_ Baby?!"

"Shut up, slut. I'm not talking to you." Trunks' cold stare pierced something in her heart, causing her to feel chills of despair.

"SLUT?!" Her hair began to lift as if through an invisible wind. "That does it. I'm going to knock some sense into you, you manwhore!" She readied her fists for the kill.

Goku turned, waving his hands for her to stop. "Pan, this isn't Trunks! Don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's saying."

Trunks took Goku's distraction as an opportunity to belt him across the head, crashing the Saiyan into the kitchen table, throwing masses of food in every direction as he lost consciousness.

As Pan was in the process of opening her mouth to call out to her grandpa, Trunks suddenly phased before her face, a readied blue ball of ki merely inches from her face. "T-T-Trunks?!!!"

"Die, bitch!"

He released the ball and exploded away the entire wall of the kitchen leading to the hallway. Debris and smoke forced its way into every room of the ship. The blast caused several items in the rooms to catch fire. Everything in the way of it was incinerated upon impact. Pan flew back through the broken wall, landing on her right arm, which snapped as it twisted under weight. Her entire front was singed, blackened by his blast, bleeding profusely through the layers of sweaters from the third degree burns.

The only thing she could sense was pain. All of her nerves were shot, burned away. She felt like she was paralyzed, watching the angel of death strip her from life, one painful moment at a time. She was on her back, looking upward, and saw Trunks reappear for the final time before her with a readied ki blast.

She looked straight in his eyes, accepting her fate. His wild eyes were strained, frantic, desperate. He hovered before her with a blast that left him shaking and sweating even through the extreme cold of the ship. His breathing was ragged, his muscles were tensed, his mouth open and his eyebrows quivering as if trying to overcome mental battle that was happening inside him.

Something else caught her eyes... It was so hard to see through the blue ki ball, but an area of it seemed purple, as if there were some red light being emitted behind it... But that would be impossible... she and Trunks had only heard of their rings going white. What could this mean? Why was he hesitating? "Trunks..." She coughed and spit out some blood as she felt her consciousness slipping. "Please..." She closed her eyes tightly, "Fight it... Fight it....Trunks..."

What she couldn't see was Trunks opening and closing his mouth, saying the one name that he couldn't get out of his mind. It was repeating in his head, echoing thousands of times over, two words: _Save Pan._ But he hated her! He had to kill her because she represented weakness on his part and Lord Baby would never forgive him. He had to kill her. He was going to kill her. It was just so easy. Even a snap of her neck would finish her off right now. _Save Pan... Save Pan_....._Save her... SAVE HER!_

"Get.... Get out of my head!!" Trunks' blast dissipated as he fell to his knees beside the girl, holding his head, covering his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. "Get out of my head!!!" _Save Pan.... Pan... Pan... _"GET OUT!!!" Trunks moaned and brought his head to the floor, in a somewhat fetal position, holding his head and sobbing, his shoulders shaking with his tears. He felt sick, he felt weak. He had to live up to Lord Baby. He had to do this. What was wrong with this body?! Why was it not responding? And why did that blast to the girl knock so much life out of him?

_Because... _Trunks knew why. Pan... Pan was not the enemy. _He_ was the enemy. He was hurting her. "Pan..." _Save Pan... Save her! Save Pan..._ He couldn't think with all the voices in his head. His entire left hand burned with such an enormous heat, it could have baked everything in the hall within minutes. He couldn't look down to see why it burned. He couldn't look back to see if Goku was okay. All he could think about was Pan. He had to save her! He had to save her from _himself_.

"Pan... Pan!!" He crawled to her side, his body trembling, from shock, or from the cold, or from the fear that she might be critically wounded. Tears were still streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. He must have been just a little boy, but he was unable to hold his tears back. He choked on them, he drowned in them.... He could barely see through them. They made his vision a blur, and the ship a burning mass of rubble.

But, he could see Pan. Through her, he could see his world clearly. He had... to save her. As he lifted her gently, to cradle her in his arms, he noticed her right arm had been twisted at an awkward angle, hanging loosely from her. Blood coated her clothing, her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly open, emitting small, but steady, clouds of steam. She was still breathing. He had to get her a senzu bean. He had to find them right now! But, he couldn't leave her.

He picked her up and held her against his chest, burying his face into her neck, smelling her hair for the second time that day... thinking himself to be a fool for ever arguing with her earlier about those stupid blankets. The issue should have never happened in the first place. From now on... if he were to wake up next to her, holding her like that, he would enjoy the scent of her hair... because of the fact that she'd be alive... and he could enjoy her company... and she'd be there, protected by him. _Save Pan..._ He would protect her with his life.

He would never let what just happened ever happen again. He'd find some way to stop it, whatever it was. He couldn't remember how it started, or what triggered it, but seeing how he hurt her... how he almost killed her... He felt sick. What kind of best friend was he, anyway? He'd be surprised if she ever forgave him.

He'd be surprised if he ever forgave himself.

He carried her to the launching bay, where he kept the extra supply of senzu beans. After laying her gently on the ground, he stood up and rummaged through the bags, stopping when he found one small brown bag, still half full, with plenty of beans for Pan to heal on.

He leaned down and as delicately as his shaking hands could move, he slid the bean through her mouth and closed her jaw, praying to all the kais that she would heal fast. He watched as she chewed weakly, emitting a barely audible moan. He was afraid to touch her. He wanted to hold her as she healed, to feel her nuzzle herself into his chest again, so real and warm. He was just sorry that he hurt her. After she would heal, he would check on Goku. He didn't remember what exactly he did to Goku, but he vaguely remember some kind of attack that he made. How could he ever apologize enough to them?

"Don't move or else I'll shoot!"

Trunks wanted to turn around to Goku's voice, but instead, stayed still. He could hear a readied ki blast behind him, and no doubt, Goku would have put a great deal of power into the attack.

"I see you found the senzu beans for Pan. However, I don't believe I can trust you."

Trunks closed his eyes and sighed. If he were in Goku's shoes, he would most probably feel the same way right about now. "Goku, I'm not your enemy."

"Turn around and face me when you say that!"

Trunks stood up slowly, raising his arms, and turned to face Goku. It was worse than a ki blast in his hands. He had a fully prepared Kamehameha ready for release, aimed straight at Trunks. If he made one wrong move, he would most certainly die.

Trunks looked to Goku, trying to keep a straight face, and repeated in a steady voice, "I'm not your enemy."

Goku came closer a few steps and peered at him. "Are you... the _real_ Trunks?"

"As real as my mother and father made me."

"And they are?"

Trunks felt himself sweating under this interrogation. "Uh... Bulma and Vegeta?"

"Alright," Goku's wave blast vanished as he relaxed, "You passed the test."

It took a moment for what just happened to sink into Trunks' head. "_That_ was the test? My parents' names?!" His mouth fell open, "Wow, Goku, don't you think that was a little too simple?"

"Simple for you. But I don't know if Pan would be able to remember them right now. You really hurt her back there."

"You saw me hurt her, and you didn't do anything about it?!"

"No. But I saw the wall was gone, and there's a rather large pool of blood on the floor. I made an educated guess that it wasn't yours." Goku looked toward his granddaughter. "Besides," he returned his skeptical gaze to Trunks, "I think I would have just gotten in the way, even if I did watch it."

Trunks kneeled beside Pan, whose color had returned slightly, even though the cold was draining a lot of her energy. "Do you..." He closed his eyes, "Do you hate me, Goku?"

"No." Goku looked up and put a finger to his chin, "But I am a little upset that you ruined my breakfast I prepared for you guys. It took a lot of effort for me to come up with that idea."

"Oh NO!" Trunks stood up and put his hands to his head. "The _kitchen_.... It's .... It's..."

"It's _gone_, because of you." Goku grinned. "But no worries, all my frozen foods are still intact! We have _more_ than enough to last us the journey home!"

Through all the misery that he had gone through, Trunks still managed to break a smile. "Wow, Goku, I never thought I'd ever say this... but thanks, for using your stomach, back on Planet Ladrone."

Goku laughed, "Don't worry about it. It's my specialty."

Trunks smiled wider and felt like he wanted to make this all up to Goku somehow. And, he knew one thing he could do that would earn the kid's favor in a heartbeat. "Goku...I... I want to give you something. I originally was not going to return this to you, but... considering the circumstances... you might like another reason to smile."

"Oh?"

Trunks reached into his pants' pocket and pulled out an item he had been storing there for some time, having forgotten about it. He tossed it to Goku, who caught it with ease to look at it with wondering eyes. Trunks nodded his head. "The film."

"The film?!" Goku's eyes went wide with delight. "Oh wow! WOW! Thanks, Trunks! But...." He looked around, "Where is the camera?"

"_Giru_ is the camera, remember? I got the film from Giru some time ago."

"Oh this is great! And to think, I have an entire extra empty roll I had been saving to use!" Goku tossed the film up and caught it happily. "Oh yeah, and Trunks, I forgot to tell you. Not that this reminds me or anything, but I've been meaning to tell you: the thermostat is broken."

Trunks smiled, "It will be for a few more hours, Goku. I wanted to get us adjusted to the temperature of the planet we're going to be landing on soon." Trunks looked down to Pan again, who was sleeping peacefully. That worried him more than her being awake and in pain, though. In –100, she could easily catch hypothermia and die in her sleep. He'd have to wrap her in the blankets and raise the bedroom temperature a bit. That was one of the many things he needed to do before landing on the next planet. "Goku... you don't have to do this, but if you find yourself getting bored at all, you're most welcome to help me clean up this place." Trunks managed a slight smile before picking Pan up and securing his hold by tossing her up a few inches so he could adjust his grip under her.

He heard her moan something and leaned down to listen as she said, "Trunks..." under her breath.

"Yeah, Pan?" He smiled encouragingly toward he girl.

"You...you came back..."

"Shh, it was just a bad dream, Pan. Go back to sleep."

Trunks watched her close her eyes and drift off to dreams. He looked up to see Goku with his arms crossed and face completely serious as he watched Trunks holding Pan so closely. He had an inkling as to what Goku was thinking, and he felt daring enough to challenge him. "So, Goku, don't you have any comment to say about us right now?"

Goku chuckled, "I could, but I've learned that you get upset when I state the obvious." He walked over to look at Pan and ran a hand through her hair. "Besides, you two would be better as friends right now, anyway. When I comment about how you two would work well together, I mean a few years down the road. You'll find your own ways by then."

Trunks smiled toward the boy as he held Pan closer to him. "You know what, Goku, I think you're finally growing up."

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**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:**

Your homework:

**WATCH THE EPISODE AIRING TOMORROW (DBGT: Saturday Night, Nov. 6th, 10:00pm on Cartoon Network), IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO MY PLOT!!!! I will be making a big deal of it when it comes along in my story. It will act as a large catalyst to when Trunks and Goten come along on the trip.**

The episode is entitled "Saying Goodbye." It deals with Goku having to make a heart-wrenching decision regarding Pan. Very good episode, one of my favorites, and try to picture what Trunks' own thoughts might be during the battle, especially wearing the ring. This is homework. You must do this. For the sake of my story and all future fan-fictions, watch that episode!!!

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Note:

This chapter was incredibly difficult for me to write. I have three different versions of it, and two of them are written to the endings. I originally had a really sucky and corny plot, that was predictable and trite, and so I redid it for an 'alternate' approach. Instead of Pan snapping Trunks out of his rampage, Trunks, himself, finds a way to overcome it. I felt the Trunks version was much better, so I continued with it. If you ever want to hear Pan's method, drop me an email or a review with your email address, but be forewarned, it's bad enough for me to actually rewrite 2,000 words!

I was going to have this scene come a little later in the story, like, right before coming back to Earth, but then I realized that there were two reasons why it would be good placing it here. 1) because I've set up the Baby reign on Earth, and 2) because Goku did something that severely would piss off _anyone_ who would have worked as hard as Trunks did the night before to clean up after the kid.

According to the way I have organized the plot, you won't be seeing another ring glowing for a while, and for the rest of the story, it will happen only twice. I felt that writing in Trunks' view during the scene of him overcoming Baby's egg was also a good predecessor to what will happen during the Shadow Dragon Saga so you guys will be able to understand the catalyst a lot better (watch the episode, I'm not kidding around!!!)

That's about it. Watch the episode. : )

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-_11/5/04_-


	23. Reflections

CHAPTER 23:

Reflections

Even from under the covers, she kept seeing him, hovering over her, replaying the look in his eyes, in her mind. The grief, confusion, insanity, desperation, all boiled into a mix within a rage. She couldn't help but think of when she last saw that look, when he was hovering above her grandpa, about to kill him, fighting something inside him but unsure what to do. His eyes had been glazed, as if there were some kind of wall, a barrier, keeping him locked as a prisoner inside his own body.

He had called that alien from months ago "_Lord_ Baby." It just seemed so bizarre, so completely out of whack. If that wasn't Trunks or Baby, then who was it? _What_ was it? She knew that Trunks was an incredibly powerful fighter, following just behind her father and grandpa now that he could ascend to the next level, and she knew that he was a genius, inheriting his mind both from his mother and his father, becoming possibly one of the most intelligent men in the world; yet no amount of fighting, both physical or mental, had been able to keep him free from that dormant evil inside of him.

She felt a great deal for Trunks. She had never had a close friend like him before. Back on Earth, she always managed to scare people away or make her short-lived friends upset in some way. Those that attached themselves to her were fake and superficial, hoping to be able to go back to their homes and say that they were friends with 'Mr. Satan's granddaughter' as if the only way Pan truly stood out was through some sort of title. It was just the cheap thrill of being associated her that ever drew people to notice her. And, she hated all those people that used her like that. Like... all her boyfriends... They all went out with her, using her, and once they found out what she was like, they ran as if Cell were hot on their trail.

She had learned to cope with that, to escape a lot of her emotions by either going to her gramps' dojo every other few days just to smack around some of his students, or going to Vegeta's gravity room every Friday evening, trying to release her anger at the world. When she found out that her uncle was going to go into space with his best friend Trunks and her grandpa, whom she had not spent time with since she was a baby, it was all she could do to stow away on the ship and leave with them instead of Goten because... she needed it. She needed a break from the world. Nobody understood her, and she hated how her life was just one successive disappointment after another.

She understood why Trunks had been upset with her for so long, but never really let it get her down. It wasn't the first time a boy, or man in his case, had shown her the cold shoulder. She had outwardly hardened to it, even though it still managed to tear her up inside how nobody gave her a chance to show how she would do anything just to have a friend – any friend; a real friend with whom she could talk openly, and appreciate, and love as family.

Finally, after a long period of successive fighting followed by silent treatments, he had begun to open up to her. It was all so new to her, to have a friend who was not her family. In some way, he could be regarded as a second uncle – she did used to call him "Uncle Trunks" when she was little – but still she _never_ in her wildest dreams imagined that she'd be closer to Trunks than to Bra. Bra and she used to be friends when they were little, but once they approached grade school, Pan had watched Bra become associated with a particular crowd of people while Pan watched from the sidelines. After a while, they ended up growing apart, and whenever Bulma would hold one of her annual reunion parties, Pan would always find herself sticking closer to her parents, or even Yamucha, who positively adored her, saying she reminded him of Chi Chi when her grandma was little.

Pan had never really noticed Trunks before. Considering how she had never exactly been on the best terms with her Uncle Goten, she never found much reason for getting to know Bra's older brother. Besides never being home while working all the time, he never showed much interest in sparring with her or Vegeta when they went to the gravity room every week. The only bits she really ever heard about him were some side comments from Vegeta about how Trunks never trained anymore and that he would become a 'weakling' like her Uncle Goten if he continued at that rate (wouldn't _he_ be shocked to find out that Trunks was more powerful than him now, and he only sparred _once_ during the entire trip!).

She wondered how her Uncle Goten felt about her at this moment, back on Earth. Was he resentful? Was he jealous? Did he hate her, despise her, like every other person who ever got around to knowing her? He was probably up to his usual, dating his entourage of girls who flocked to him, all somehow attracted to the 'innocent' side of him, thinking him to be 'as cute and cuddly as a teddy bear' according to one of his latest girlfriends, Havana, whom Pan had unfortunately met. She sorely scowled. _I swear, that 'innocent' boy gets more action than Master Roshi at a drunken sorority mixer. _

It really surprised her when she found out that he and Trunks were completely opposite a long time ago. Back in their teenage years, Trunks had been the wild one, according to her papa. Apparently when she was younger, Trunks had even gone out of his way to call her papa a "nerd." It was funny, how hypocritical he ended up being, becoming the president of Capsule Corporation and wearing those thick, ugly, ridiculous glasses he hid behind all the time. He had brought them on the trip, but after a lot of heavy complaining on her part, he took them off and never wore them again.

To be honest with herself, Pan had to admit that Trunks had the ability to be drop-dead gorgeous if he wanted to be, but he always found ways to mask it either with props or body language. Pan had never seen him wear anything other than his usual beige suit except two 'official' times: at Dr. and Mrs. Briefs' funerals. He had worn a black suit those days, and then hid it away somewhere after that. There had been other times when he wore 'alternative' outfits, like that wedding dress when he had to dress in drag earlier in the trip (the memory still got her to crack up randomly sometimes), Mirai's outfit which he wore by accident, King Kai's gi outfit, and that _other_ wedding dress back on Kikaru. Pan smiled when she thought of that. Almost half the times she'd seen him wear anything other than his pajamas or suit, he'd been in dresses. That'd be something funny to tell his kids one day, whenever he got around to finding some girl and having them, that is. Twenty-nine as of today, and he hadn't had a girlfriend since forever. It was hard to imagine, considering how most people considered him a rich and powerful tycoon who was beautiful and ripped enough to be a 'Mr. Universe' model if he truly wished to be.

At first, his status had somewhat intimidated her, however much she would die before admitting it. She had never really known him for the person he was, and based her impression of Trunks from her family's memories of him and what the rest of the world viewed him to be. Sure, he had babysat her when she was little, and even took baths with her, according to his tales back on Kikaru, but actually _knowing _him for the person he was... that was something she never thought she'd do.

There were so many 'firsts' that she was experiencing with him, ranging from adventures to emotions. He had a good fourteen years on her, and had most likely felt a great deal of these 'first's of hers before, but it didn't help her get over the fact that she felt unusually close to him, even if he didn't feel the same way back. She wasn't exactly sure how he felt, but he had been doing a lot of things lately – little things, like stroking her face – that she had never felt before, and she didn't want it to stop. She didn't want to lose her best friend when they would return to Earth. But even if she didn't lose him... she had this terrible gut feeling that he'd never touch her like this ever again, and she'd go the rest of her life boyfriendless, loveless, and friendless.

What happened last night confused her. She had never slept in the same bed with anyone before – well, ever since she was a little girl. Once she turned five, she stopped crawling into her parents' bed at night during thunderstorms. Ever since then, guests, even Bra when she was little and they were still close, would stay in the guest room. But last night, Trunks had asked her to sleep next to him, and had held her as she slept. On one hand, it was a slightly strange experience. She wasn't quite sure how to view it in her memory, or how to interpret it. His behavior had come out of nowhere. One moment, she was angry with him, and probably would have held a day-long grudge about it, and then two hours later, he came in and kissed her.

It wasn't a long kiss, and it hardly held any pressure against her lips; and it wasn't even her first kiss – that kiss had been given on their 'wedding day,' which she later regretted doing – but it still meant a great deal to her. She was grateful that he did that, that he kissed her to give her a 'real' first kiss, so she wouldn't have to doubt anymore if she had experienced one or not. Although it had not been weighing on her mind much anymore, it had been a topic of thought for several weeks after the act. She had been so sure that her forced kiss on him would make him start hating her. She knew if he had forced a kiss on her, she would have never gotten over it, holding a reserve of spite every time she'd think of him. After pondering it a great deal, she figured his attitude about it had to do with experience. She figured that he had most definitely kissed girls before, and it probably wasn't as significant to him as it was to her.

But, that was before last night... when he said he wanted to make up for their horrible experience before, to give it a second shot. She didn't know if it was because he wanted her to know that he forgave her for kissing him, or whether it was because he was thinking about her own conflicted emotions about it, and wanted to clear some confusion. All she knew was that he did something incredibly sweet, and then he added icing to the cake by inviting her into his bed, to hold her while dreaming. It all seemed so romantic, but she knew better than to think like a girl. She knew Trunks, and that he didn't have a romantic bone in his body, especially toward her. She knew better than to get the wrong idea about the situation. But, it was a nice thought to daydream anyway. She wouldn't worry about his motives, because they, unlike her Uncle Goten's, were most likely innocent.

What really worried her was whatever happened to him recently, when he snapped. Something was wrong with him. Somehow, Trunks was sick, and neither she nor Trunks nor her grandfather knew how to deal with it, or to find a cure. The safest thing to do would be to keep Trunks in a good mood, to prevent him from losing it again. That monster, whatever it was, released one the most evil ki she had ever felt. She couldn't even begin to fathom Trunks being so cruel. He was... one of the nicest guys she'd ever known, once you got on his good side, at least. And, he was her friend. She wanted so much to help him, but didn't know how.

She held up her left hand and admired the beautiful ring that had wrapped itself around her finger so long ago. It seemed like years ago, that whole mess that changed everything, when they had to get naked and go to King Kai's new planet. When... he almost discovered her secret that she had never told anyone, and she made her parents swear to never reveal. If he ever found out, what would he think? He could he ever view her the same, as a Saiyan, knowing that she...she... could probably never attain a transformation?

But she wouldn't settle for that. Though her body screamed that it was hopeless, even with a power level of 35,000,000 – more than three times the power her grandpa had _after_ he first transformed – she was determined to keep trying. She refused to believe that she was too human to ever experience those teal eyes and that blonde hair that would make everyone in her family so proud of her. She would continue to train, to become stronger, to prove to herself that Vegeta was _wrong,_ that the source of a Saiyan's strength lay _deeper_ than his or her tail. It had to... if she ever wanted to be able to transform.

The light from the crack in the doorway glinted off the metallic transparent gold of her ring. It had never occurred to her to take it off. She was not one for wearing jewelry, but there was something special about this memento, something that was deeper than its design, that made her realize it might be best if she kept it on. She wasn't quite sure what the whole glowing deal was, but she knew one thing for certain: if she weren't wearing that ring, she probably would be dead by now. Something had held that demon back before, and it wasn't Trunks' doing – Trunks had lost his battle against the thing when it first took over his mind. It had been powerful enough to knock her grandpa unconscious with one blow. Then, it attacked her, and it was on the verge of killing her, but had been repelled by something else, something that was beyond Trunks' control.

And, in the process, Trunks had come back... and he had saved her. Perhaps it was like that time she was on that planet, "Planet Bulma," when she had watched Trunks endure having a gun to his head, and all that she could think about was saving him, no matter what the cost. She had not been able to control her actions at the time, though. When she looked back, it was as if something else was driving her forward, to protect him, as if it were instinctive. She wanted to place the blame on her burning finger, but didn't want to lie to herself. A lot of what she felt had already existed for him in some way. The ring acted to enhance it to the point of insanity. Even with its protective nature, what she did resulted in Trunks getting shot anyway. It was as if it were all for naught, and in the end he still just got hurt.

She couldn't stand the idea of him being hurt. It tore her up inside that he was suffering from something inside of him, threatening to possess him at any moment in time. She would feel that way for anyone, though. If her grandpa had the same problem, she'd be just as anxious about his health, but there was something about Trunks that was special to her. He was her best friend. Her first real, solid, alive-and-breathing friend.

She smiled as she put her hand back under the covers. Bra's older brother, Pan's best friend. Never in her wildest dreams had that ever been a possibility to her. Her Uncle Goten would flip when he would find out that Trunks viewed her as his best friend now as well.

She suddenly felt like she would burst from pride for catching such a prize fish. Maybe, when they would get back to Earth, she could convince Trunks to take her to a nice restaurant somewhere sometime, or get him to sponsor her one-day dojo. Perhaps he could introduce her to some of his other friends – the rich and famous ones! If she had him, why not make the most of him, if he offered it?

No... that would be silly. She wasn't friends with him in order to exploit him. That's what every other girl wanted, who actually pursued him for his power in the economy. It would be nice if he offered her such things, but she was just kidding herself if she thought she'd be interested in getting to know his friends. It would be nice to meet them one day, but Trunks was her friend because of other reasons that went deeper than going out to places.

Trunks was her friend because he had learned to trust her. She hoped that trust could last for years, all the way until he did find someone else, some other girl to replace her in his life. She just hoped that he'd stay single for a while, until she could learn to maintain friendships better, so his loss wouldn't be so hard on her. But he was twenty-nine. He would be retiring by the age of thirty, he said, and then try to start a family. He'd actually go out and try to meet women.

It made her ache, to know he'd be spending his days gaining other attachments, slowly forgetting about her. She didn't want to think about it. She wanted to make the most of her time with him _now_, while she still had him... while she was still able to show him how much she appreciated him. He was her best friend. More than anything, she wanted him to know that – to _really_ know that.

She yawned and coughed a bit as she hugged herself, trying to keep warm. It was definitely a lot warmer in the bedroom, but for some reason, she still felt cold. Perhaps it was just a mental side-effect of the events some hours earlier. She felt incredibly lonely, lying by herself. Trunks had told her to rest for her body to heal properly, especially since she had broken her arm so badly before, but she really wanted to get out of bed and help Trunks and her grandpa clean the place. She could hear their muffled voices through the doorway. She couldn't make out the words, but she could hear her grandpa sneezing a few times. She figured they were probably talking about her grandpa getting sick for once in his life. It served him right for not buying a jacket. She just hoped Trunks wouldn't get ill on top of whatever parasite he had at the moment. He had gone through enough lately.

Several minutes passed, and the voices stopped. Another minute of silence. Then, she heard Trunks call out for Giru and begin his conversation again for some time. Pan had tried to listen, but it was no use. By this time, she had cleared her head of all thoughts. She turned on her side and took the pillow that Trunks had slept on the night before, hugging it to her body, pretending it was him and that it smelled like him, even though it smelled more like her grandpa. Her grandpa... Grandpa Goku...

She tried not to think of the anger she used to feel toward him before they went on the journey together. He had left his family, had abandoned her grandma to go train someone for ten years. Pan had lost her grandpa for an entire decade before he returned, and when he came back, he was a little boy. She was four years old when he left, and although she held a few memories of him, she had forgotten his face a long time before. She knew him more from pictures and stories than how she remembered him.

She loved her grandpa so much, though. There were so many reasons why, in addition to how he was family. She held an enormous respect for him, considering him to be her role model. She wanted to be just like him one day – a true hero.

The voices in the hall stopped again. Trunks said something, and then there was a brief silence before she sensed the bedroom door open a crack, sending a rush of cold air into the room. Pan felt her face flush as she realized she was still holding the pillow against her, and decided to pretend she was asleep and not aware that she was hugging something. It would be less embarrassing that way.

Closing her eyes, she buried her face into the pillow as she heard Trunks slip into the room and close the door behind him. She could sense him walking quietly up to the bed, and felt the mattress shift slightly as he sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her.

When he spoke, he whispered lightly, as if afraid to wake her, "Pan...?"

Pan was still blushing, but didn't want him to see it, so she pretended to sleep through his whisper, with her face still against the pillow.

The bed creaked almost inaudibly as his weight shifted on its side. She could sense the heat of his hand before it touched her neck gently, then gingerly began to run his fingers through her hair. "Pan...? Are you awake?"

She pretended to let out a groggy moan. Feeling her cheeks return to their normal color, she shifted her body a bit, while in the process rubbing her cheek against his hand. She faked a yawn and opened her eyes, pushing her pillow aside to look at Trunks, who had an oddly placid look on his face. "Hi Trunks..." She smiled as sleepily as she could manage.

His calm face bent lower towards hers, his hand moved to hold her shoulder as he looked concernedly in her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Instead of answering, she sat up slowly and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could sense his hands tentatively touch her back as they were unsure of where to go. She whispered into his left ear, "I feel wonderful, thanks to you."

He lowered his eyes as he rested his hands on the small of her back, "You'd have felt better if it weren't for me..."

"Don't say that." She hugged him closer and felt her cheek brush his, "I know that wasn't you."

"Even still... I'm..." He closed his eyes as his hands spread and secured her back, pushing her closer to envelop her in a hug, "I'm sorry, Pan."

She smiled against his neck and brought her hand up to tousle the back of his hair. "You're still my best boy."

Trunks exhaled sharply in a quick laugh, remembering how he had just said a very similar sentence to her right before the whole incident. He squeezed her in appreciation for a moment, then released her. As he sat back, his neck came free of her arms. He corrected her with a smile, "Still your best _man_."

"Hardly!" She smiled, then poked him in the side attempting to be playful, trying to think of something else he could be the best at. "Haha, you're my best _bride_."

Trunks frowned at the memory to which she was referring. She had a lot of nerve to randomly bring that up. A split moment passed before he retorted, "Well then you're my best _bug_."

"Bug?" Her eyes narrowed as that comment took on multiple meanings, either referring to the costume she brought on the trip, how she bugs him, or her mother and father, as she found out last night. If she could steam from anger, she would have. She felt rage building inside of her as she yelled out, "Well, you're my best _underwear!_"

"And you're my best _appetizer!_" His face turned a little red as his temple throbbed on his forehead. He growled loudly as he thought of various ways to strangle the girl.

Pan couldn't take it anymore. She beat the sheets with her fists while screaming, "That's it! I can't believe you can be so _immature_, Trunks!"

"_Me?!_ _You're_ the one who started the name-calling!"

"Why did you come in here anyway? To start a fight with me or something?!" She threw the covers off of her and glared angrily at him, "Honestly, after you already ripped the blankets this morning, you'd think you'd have learned your lesson!"

"Are you _baka_?! _YOU_ were the one who tore the sheets!"

"You always put _all_ the blame on me! Why can't you take _any_ responsibility?! You _NEVER_ take the blame."

"That's because I never _do_ anything!"

"Well you know what?" She crossed her arms and looked away, "You sure did a number on me earlier, Trunks."

He pointed at her, his eyes narrowed as he said through his teeth, "That wasn't me."

"Well, it sure looked like you."

His eyebrows turned upward as he held his breath. He felt his body tremble at the memory. Everything seemed to hazy to him. He wasn't even sure, as he looked back on it, that he was remembering anything correctly, but... he knew he saw her face. She looked so burned and beaten, he wasn't even sure a senzu bean would have been able to heal her fully. If she would have died... She could have...

"Trunks?"

He looked down at his hands as his eyebrows quivered. He felt sick. No... more than sick: devastated, torn, lost... There were no words to express how angry and despaired and hopeless he felt. There was nothing in all of space that could heal him from his memories. It all seemed maddening, everything... Everything had happened so fast. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He didn't even know how to prevent it from happening again...

He felt Pan's arms wrap around him again as she pressed him to her. "I'm sorry, Trunks... I didn't mean it. I know you didn't do it. I was just angry and..."

She trailed off as she suddenly felt his arms wrap around to her shoulders and press her body against his as he buried his face in her hair. His body trembled slightly as his breathing became irregular, as if he were trying to hold back an overwhelming emotion. His voice threatened to break into a sob by her ear, "I barely even... I-I almost... You..." She heard a sharp intake of breath, "I mean..."

"I know..."

"I could have... If we didn't... on Kikaru..."

Pan squeezed him and said in a low voice "I know... I know, Trunks. I..." She rocked him slightly, "I think you need to get some rest. You've had a lot happen to you today." She smiled against his neck, "Some birthday, eh?"

Trunks let loose a small scoff with a smile. "The most interesting birthday I've ever had. That's for sure." He nodded into her hair, "And a bit of rest does sound inviting."

Pan pulled away and looked at him shyly, her face flushing slightly, "Would you like... to take a nap with me?"

Trunks shook his head with a sad grin, "We don't have time. I came in here to... well..." He looked to her eyes and continued, "I came in here to tell you that we're going to reach the planet within the hour." He looked at her body, exposed to the chilly air. "I wanted you to know that you should... get dressed."

She smiled and nodded, "Okay."

"I also wanted to let you know that your grandfather has contracted a very violent sneeze. He nearly blew another hole in the wall when he forgot to cover his mouth with a tissue." Trunks chuckled under his breath, "I'd stay clear of him if I were you."

Pan touched Trunks' shoulder and nodded toward him. When she dropped her hand, she leaned back onto her pillow again – well, Trunks' official pillow – and looked up toward the bunk above her. "One more dragonball and then, after this, we get to head home?"

He nodded to her, smiling. "Homeward bound."

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-_11/11/04_-

Author's Notes:

Note #1: This is a TP _Get-Together_. NOT a TP Romance:

Just to remind people, this is a TP Get-Together, _not_ a TP Romance. There is a _big difference_. A TP get-together explains what leads them to eventually begin to fall in love. A get-together usually implies that they are NOT in love, and will not be until much later in the story. A TP romance is when they are already in love and get together and start having lemons and babies everywhere. Don't expect a lemon in this story, at any point whatsoever. If they do happen to make love at any point, I will keep its tale completely PG-13 rated. I stress, IF THEY DO. And, if they do, it won't be until several chapters before the end of the story. Aka. 40 chapters, people. Don't start getting your hopes up that they are falling in love yet. They _will_. Just not _now_.

Note #2: Your Homework Results

Due to a request I received in my reviews (proving that reviewing pays off. You get special benefits from me if you ask me for favors, even if I don't know you that well), I will give a brief summary of the episode on Saturday which people may have missed. It's entitled "Saying Goodbye":

During the Shadow Dragon Saga, Goku and Pan have to fight off and kill each of the individual dragons that have tainted Dende's dragonballs. They fight the seven-star dragonball without realizing it has the ability to possess and use bodies as its own. Pan gets sucked into the seven-star dragonball, fuses with the dragon, and then fights Goku, saying that Goku doesn't have the heart to kill his own granddaughter. They fight and fight, and the episode dragons on, and then finally Goku decides to kill her, because Pan would rather die than be fused with an evil dragon and hurt people. He does his ultimate Kamehameha blast on her, and thinks she dies. However, it turns out he can't kill the dragon, and as he's dying, the dragon grants him a wish just to be nice. Goku's wish was to see Pan again. So, he sees Pan, and at the last second, pulls her out from the dragon's belly and then the dragon shrinks to be a little mole, which Goku promptly destroys. They then, in the next episode, have to fight the four-star dragon (coming up this Saturday).

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	24. The Predicament

CHAPTER 24:

The Predicament

He felt awful. His head was on the verge of exploding from pressure, and his breaths came in large wheezes. At least he didn't have to worry about breathing in the fish smell anymore, however good or bad Trunks claimed it was, because his sense of smell had been snuffed out of him some time before. His body felt numb, his lungs felt like they were filling with fluid, his coughs were deep, and his eyes felt like they had lead weights pulling them down. What started out as a slight sore throat and a stuffy head had grown to be a fever, the chills, the sneezes, wheezes, the whole deal.

To put it mildly, Goku felt as if he had been hit by a truck and left as roadkill.

He tried to hide it, though, knowing that Trunks kept slipping him criticizing comments about Goku not buying a jacket in addition to all the food he got, but when he was back on that other planet, he just couldn't think straight. That's what hunger did to him. The thought of food just made his head spin and left him weak and desperate. That's why he could never fight without eating something... everything in his body would just go haywire, and he wouldn't be able to fully trust himself, in addition to the fact that his body would slowly be shutting down.

Everyone was in the cockpit, staring out the round windows to the blue ice planet before them. It looked like a gigantic round frozen rock. It normally wouldn't faze Goku that they'd be heading to some cold place, but the fact that Goku felt so sick right now, he wasn't sure if the final dragonball was worth it. After having to endure this, he just wanted to go home.

"Wow, there it is!" Pan leaned forward in her chair, petting Giru with a triumphant smile on her face, sporting her thick red coat. Goku looked over to her, wondering how in all worlds she could seem so happy right now.

Trunks, who was looking quite warm in his own blue coat, leaned back and closed his eyes. He sighed with a smile and said aloud, "The last dragonball..." He paused and asked, "Are you excited, Goku?" Trunks turned his head to look at Goku, who sat in his chair, shivering from the extreme cold.

Goku opened his mouth to respond, but was met with a severe tickling of his nose that caused him to instinctively intake air for a sharp sneeze, "Achoo!" He frowned and rubbed his red nose, whimpering with tears in his eyes, "Wow, it's really cold in here..."

Trunks, having heard this complaint now for what seemed like the tenth time that hour, frowned and looked ahead as he took the steering wheel, "Well, when we stopped to buy jackets because we found out this planet has a temperature of 269 degrees below zero, you should have at least spent _some_ of your money on a jacket instead of food!"

Pan looked over to see Goku suffering in his chair. "Its amazing that you're not frozen like an icycle, Grandpa."

He refused to admit that jackets were more important than food. Nothing could ever be more important than a good meal. This entire situation was a fluke circumstance. He'd never have to experience anything this cold, ever again, if he could help it. Considering this was a one-time event, it was worth every penny to spend it on food that would sustain him for a lot longer than a jacket was needed. "I'm fine," he lied, "It's my eating habits that keep me healthy."

At the completion of his sentence, the tickling sensation returned, and before he could even raise a hand to block the blast, his eyes squeezed shut and he let out a roaring sneeze that rained a great portion of what had been clogging his nose right onto Trunks' coat, "Achoo!!"

"Auughh.!!!" Trunks looked in shock at Goku and then down at his jacket.

"Grandpa!!!" Pan brought her hands to her face as she saw what had happened to Trunks, "Cover your mouth when you sneeze!"

"I'm sorry but... AaaaaaCHOO!"

"AaaaUGH!!!" Trunks jumped to his feet with his arms outstretched, wailing as he saw the damage to his coat. "Goku!! I can't believe you! This was a new coat!"

Pan turned to her grandpa with a frown, "That is sick. Will you at least TRY and blow your nose?"

"I _can't_," Goku sniffed and rubbed his nose with his arm, "I used up all the tissues."

Trunks shook his head and sat back down in his chair, taking the wheel with a scowl. "Use a towel or something to sneeze into, Goku. And, while you're at it, maybe you can wrap yourself up and use that as some kind of temporary overcoat."

"I told you, I'm fine." Goku tried to ignore his numbing fingers. In just a short time, it would be over with, and Trunks would turn the heat back up. All he needed to do was survive just a little longer.

Pan jumped up from her seat and smiled brightly, "I know what we all need!" She brought her hands together with her eyes shut tightly in a wide grin, "I'm going to make us all some tea! That should warm us up."

Trunks smiled as he kept his eyes ahead, "Tea sounds really great, Pan."

"-giru giru-! Giru come, too! Giru make tea! -giru giru-" The round white robot sprung out of her reach and made two peace signs, "Giru champion of the world!"

Pan laughed, "You silly 'bot! Of course you can come with me." She walked out of the room followed by the bleeping robot, humming some song she made up on the spot.

Goku watched Pan leave and head to the remains of the kitchen. It was so depressing, knowing that all that food had been wasted. He sighed then turned his head to Trunks, frowning slightly, "Trunks?"

Without taking his eyes off the planet ahead, he responded, "Mmm-hmm?"

"Do you..." Goku paused a bit and scratched the side of his head with his left index finger. "Do you think a week has passed since Pan said she wouldn't cook for me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know... Pan said she wasn't going to cook for me for a week, so _I _tried to make something this morning, and..."

Trunks turned to Goku and gave him a stern look. "There is _no way_ I am letting you cook again. _Ever_ again." He reached out his right hand and pointed to the boy, narrowing his eyes, "If you lay _one finger_ on any of the remaining items in that kitchen, both Pan _and_ I are going to make you regret it."

"But Trunks –"

"No 'but's! If Pan doesn't want to cook, then I'll cook. You're going to live on _our_ cooking schedules." Trunks lowered his hand and brought it back to the navigation wheel. "If you want a snack, go eat the _sofa_ or something, I don't care. Just don't go into that kitchen unsupervised. Got that?"

Goku hung his head. "Aww... awww...ahhh" His eyes snapped wide as his hands went up to cover his face, "Ahh..."

Trunks turned to look at Goku, raising an eyebrow, "Goku?"

"Ahhh....Ahhhhh..."

"Goku are you okay?"

Goku shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but instead, inhaled deeply. "Ahhh...AHHH!!"

"Goku?" Trunks frowned as he reached for the boy's shoulder.

"AAACHHOOOO!!!!"

The force of the blast went straight to Trunks, knocking him completely out of the chair and short-circuiting the entire control panel with sparks flying in every direction. Like fireworks, different reds and yellows and greens erupted from the board as the wind in the room died down. Trunks lay sprawled on the floor, looking up, smelling the smoke of the burnt wires. His mouth lay open, his eyes wide as if not fully able to comprehend what just happened.

Trunks opened and closed his mouth a few times before rasping, still staring into oblivion, "Goku..." His voice sounded cracked, "Do you have _any_ idea what you just did...?" He sat up, rubbing his head, glaring angrily at the boy. "Do you have ANY IDEA?!"

"Hey hey! It was an accident, I swear!" Goku threw up his arms defensively before him.

"Unless I do something about that control panel we're going to crash right into that planet!!!"

"Trunks, calm down...!"

Trunks closed his eyes as he stood, his fists balled at his side as his forehead was shaded by his hair. His temple pulsed, and he did everything he could to hold back the wrath that was to be evoked upon that idiot little boy. When he spoke, his voice was calm, with a hint of malice, "Do you... do you get it, Goku?" He looked up, and his eyes spoke of immense fury. "Do you understand that because you didn't get a jacket, you got a cold..." As he spoke, his voice began rising in decibels. "And because of your _cold_...you _DESTROYED THE COCKPIT!_"

"What's going on, you guys?" Pan stepped into the darkened room holding two cups of tea, steaming thickly in the cold air. Giru stood on her shoulder, holding a third cup.

Giru held the cup back muttering under his circuits "Danger? Danger? Danger! Danger!" The robot began rattling off the word 'danger' in several hundred different manners of being terrified.

Trunks pointed to the robot and growled, "Turn that thing off."

Pan looked back and forth between Goku and Trunks, frowning, "But we need Giru to locate the dragonball... What's wrong? Trunks?" Pan knotted her brow at him, "Are you feeling okay?"

Trunks threw up his arms in frustration, "I'm _fine_. The _cockpit isn't_, though." He thrust a finger to point at the dashboard, glaring intently at the boy. "It'll take me several days to fix this dashboard. I can't believe you, Goku. You only make my life_ ten times harder_."

Goku blinked and sniffed his nose. "Does this mean you won't be cooking, either?"

Trunks ignored the comment. Somehow, Goku always boiled every situation down to food. Everything could be explained through food to him. Somehow, even 'marriage is like food'. 'Battles are like eating food', 'sleeping is like preparing food'... Trunks wondered if there were anything in life that could not be summed up in a food simile. He needed to get Goku to understand the graveness of their situation, and decided to explain it the method Goku knew best.

"Listen, Goku..." Trunks coughed to clear his throat. "Think of this like your stomach..."

"Think of what like my stomach?"

Pan crinkled her nose. "What are you talking about?"

"Just hear me out." Trunks cleared his throat again as he looked at the approaching planet. He moved his hands to his right side, miming an object, "Think of this like your stomach." He moved his hands to his left side, miming a second object. "Think of this as a stick of dynamite." He mimed the second object being inserted into the first object, "You _eat_ the dynamite, and so it is in your stomach, right?"

Goku pouted, "But why would I eat dynamite?"

"Just listen! This is purely hypothetical."

Pan put her two cups on the blacked dashboard and shook her head, "I don't understand your story."

"That's because I'm not finished." Trunks took a breath, then continued, "Okay, so here is a stomach with dynamite in it. Consider this like my dashboard." He gestured to the computer. "It has the potential of blowing up if you do _anything _that might disturb it." He pointed to the imaginary objects again, "So imagine this is your stomach, Goku. You accidentally swallowed dynamite, and let's say – oh I don't know – _Kid Buu_ decides to throw a ki blast at you."

Goku scratched his head in confusion, "This is silly. I would never swallow dynamite."

Trunks continued, once again ignoring Goku. He raised his arms, miming an explosion, "Then _bam_, your stomach explodes _everywhere_." He pointed his index finger outward, "However, you are still barely alive, somehow, hypothetically. In order to be able to function again, you either need a senzu bean, which would replace your missing body parts," He gestured to the dashboard again, "and obviously I don't have another _cockpit_ to replace this one. Or," He pointed at Goku, "you go to a hospital and people piece you back together." He looked at the blinking boy. "Do you know how _LONG_ that would take?"

"But how does that have to do with why you aren't going to cook for me?"

"I'm saying this, because the dynamite in your stomach is like my dashboard, and it has exploded, and I need _time_ to _FIX_ it. And until I _fix_ it, I'm _NOT_ going to cook for you."

Pan gaped, "The dashboard exploded?!"

Trunks huffed and picked up his tea as if he were casually talking about the weather, watching Pan turn red.

Pan spun to face Goku, "Grandpa, what did you do _now?!_"

Goku sniffed, I didn't–! I mean–! I ahh... aaahhhh...AHHH..."

Trunks could only stand in shock as he saw Pan in the direct line of fire. He reached out with his free hand, eyes wide, "Get down! Get _down!_"

"Danger! Danger!"

The blast of Goku's second sneeze threw Pan back against the door. Giru toppled off of her, slamming into the wall, spilling the hot tea everywhere in the cabin. The droplets of the tea all froze in mid-air, raining down like pellets of hail, causing a hundred clinking sounds as they landed throughout the cockpit.

Pan lay motionless on the ground, leaning against the door. Her eyes were open in speechless shock.

Trunks hurried over to her and checked to make sure she was okay. He smirked a bit, then looked toward Goku, "I think you killed her this time."

Giru was the first to move. He propped himself up on his limbs and muttered, "No danger. No danger," before standing on his two legs. The robot hobbled over to Pan and tugged her coat sleeve to gain her attention.

Pan looked down to the robot and then toward her grandpa, blinking twice. "That... wath probably the motht.... _dithguthting_ thing to _ever_ happen to me!!!" She groaned and spit, "I think you got your _thnot_ in my _mouth!_" She made gagging sounds and stood on her feet, wiping her tongue with her gloves.

Trunks had turned his head to look at the approaching planet again. Within twenty minutes, they'd be entering its atmosphere, and if he didn't have the landing gear in place, they'd _all_ be like that stick of dynamite in the stomach...Trunks frowned. That _was _a pretty bad analogy on his part. At least it somewhat got through to Goku...

"Listen, you two." Trunks turned to face them with a stern look on his face. "Because we don't have landing gear, we're going to have to land this thing manually." He looked down and then back at the window. "I'm going to get into my space suit and fly this ship in."

Pan shook her head, "But you could be hurt!"

Trunks put his cup on the dashboard and turned to Pan with an agitated look, "Well, we're _all_ going to be hurt if we don't do something quickly."

Pan protested with her fists balled tightly, "Then I want to help!"

Goku nodded in accordance, "Me too."

"No." Trunks shook his head, "This has to be done by one person. There will be too many liabilities otherwise."

"Then let _me _do it." Pan crossed her arms. "I want to feel like I've helped out even a little bit on this trip."

As Trunks was shaking his head, Pan cut his rejection short with a punch in the gut. It wasn't hard, but it was enough for him to clutch his stomach and flare his anger, "What'd you do that for?!"

"You and Grandpa _ALWAYS_ do everything yourselves. Why can't you let _ME_ do something for once?! _I want to do this!_ _I_ want to go out and fly this ship in!"

"But, Pan, if you mess up, you're going to die!"

"And if you go, _you're_ going to die!"

At these comments, Trunks felt a slight tinge on his left finger, under his glove. He realized what it was with a scowl. This only flared his anger more. He would not let the stupid wedding ring come in between him and that space suit. If his suspicions were right, things would get pretty complicated if he tried to go out there if the ring decided to glow on him.

Goku put his hands between the two and interceded. "Hey guys, why can't I just do it?"

"You're too important, Goku. The Earth needs you alive when we come home, and I'm not going to jeopardize that." Trunks paused, "Besides, you're sick." Trunks ripped off his glove as if it were a leech, tearing it from his hand, and exposing his left hand to the chilly air. "This ring is coming off!"

Pan's eyes widened, "You're taking it off?"

Trunks glared at her, "I can't think straight when I have it on, especially if it involves you getting hurt." He tore off his other glove, exposing his right hand to the freezing temperatures as well. He needed full mobility of his fingers to grasp the metal around his finger.

He brought his right hand over and took the metal between his fingers, securing it with a steady grip. Carefully, he tried to slide the ring off, but it wouldn't budge. Sighing, he tugged harder, but it still wouldn't move. "It looks like I'm going to need to use soap."

"Here, let me take mine off." Pan removed her gloves and set them on her empty chair. She tugged at her ring, and frowned slightly. "That's strange. Rings don't usually get stuck on my finger. My hands are usually too small..."

Trunks walked up to her and took her left hand, "Here, let me help you out. You might need two hands to pull it off." He tugged at her ring several times, but to no avail. "Looks like you're going to need to wash your hands, too."

"Well, it's better this way, anyway. I want to make sure I don't get _sick_ like _Grandpa_."

Trunks smirked slightly, but could not get the image of her dying out of his head. He needed to get in his suit quickly. That meant getting the ring off quickly as well.

He and Pan walked over to the bathroom and flipped on the lights. Behind them, Goku and Giru were expectantly waiting, leaning against the wall.

Pan nodded, "Okay, you first." As Trunks turned on the water, Pan grabbed the soap and handed it to him. She watched as he lathered his hands with a somewhat pained and longing feeling. It hurt a little, to see that he was finally taking the ring off. Once it was off, would he ever wear it again? If he did, what would that mean? Pan tried to clear her head of those thoughts because all it did was leave her feeling as if she were incomplete in some way... that something special were being stripped from her. Perhaps it was because, even though it wasn't serious, that wedding between her and Trunks had been a significant event. She got to share a good memory with him. Well, it seemed good now that she looked back on it, but time always had ways of softening memories.

After Trunks felt he had let the soap sink into his hands, he tried tugging the ring again. However, no matter what, it refused to budge. It was almost as if it somehow fused onto his skin every time he tried to remove it. But that was impossible. No metal could merge into skin like that. This ring should be removable!

"Having trouble?" Pan grinned at Trunks' attempts to remove the object from his finger.

"No, I'm fine. I have this completely under control..."

"Let me help."

"No! I said I'm fine..." He continued to tug relentlessly.

Pan shrugged, "Okay. Well, mind if _I _use the soap?"

Trunks grunted, "Be my guest," as he tried to somehow twist the ring off his finger, thinking that the new method might help.

Goku laughed and picked up Giru, "Wow, those rings sure are stubborn, aren't they?" He tossed Giru once in the air, then caught him, "Kinda reminds me of Chi Chi a little bit."

Pan groaned in dismay when she saw the soap trick wasn't working. "Grandpa... do you think you could form a teeny little ki blast. You know... a microscopic one that could maybe... cut off the ring?"

Trunks looked up with a frown, "You're going to cut it off?"

Pan spun to face him. "Well, what _else_ do you think I should do?! It's obviously not coming off any other way."

Trunks opened his mouth to object, but Goku interrupted his thought, "Maybe you two should just keep them on, guys. They look nice on you."

"Grandpa... just take it off." Pan held out her left hand toward the boy.

"Okay, if you say so..." Goku looked slightly disappointed. He held out his right hand, "Tell me if this burns, 'cause if it does, I'll stop..."

"Just do it."

Goku formed a tiny ki ball that hovered above his finger. As he lowered the ball to meet with Pan's ring, thousands of little sparks began to fly. Pan cringed and squeezed her eyes shut, but held in her complaints. After Goku was finished slicing it, his little ball vanished and he said, "Well, that should have worked. If it didn't, then, I don't know what to say."

When the smoke cleared from her hand, Pan looked down and her eyes widened, "No... _No WAY!!!_"

Trunks moved closer to look, "What's wrong? What happened?" What he saw made his own eyes bulge and his mouth drop. "That's... that's _impossible!!!_"

As Pan let out a scream, Trunks backed away and hit the wall, his vision blurring as he found he couldn't find the breaths he needed to keep up with his heart rate. Thousands of feelings, of fear and confusion and horror and disbelief, passed through his mind. This couldn't be happening. That ring should have been sliced in half! There was no way to remove them. No way....No... It just couldn't be. What he heard on Kikaru was true. Their rings... they bonded them for life...

Trunks choked as he looked at his ring. "What.... how... _How_ am I going to explain this ring to my family? To... my _MOTHER?_"

"Trunks! Pan, calm down! It's not like it's the end of the world or anything like that."

Trunks pounded his fists against the wall. "Don't you _GET IT_, Goku?! _It IS the end of the world!!!!_" He brought his hands up to tear at his hair, wailing in despair, "We're going to _crash_ and the Earth is going to _EXPLODE!_"

"I can land this ship, Trunks. Don't let your emotions get the better of you. This is like any battle. Keep your head clear, and you can always think of an alternative way to win." Goku smiled as he said this. Trunks wanted to strangle him. _How could Goku be so _chipper_ after _this?!

Goku continued by setting Giru back down on the ground. "All you need to do is show me where the spacesuit is and–"

Trunks grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out the door. "You're doing this _now_, or else we're all going to die, and _don't_ give me a fuss about wearing your suit." He growled, "And if you put that suit on backwards again, you're going to _severely regret it_."

Goku smiled as he was being so roughly escorted. Trunks really had no idea how much like Bulma he could sound sometimes. This brought Goku's memories back to home as they reached the launching bay and Trunks began to roughly dress him.

He noticed that Giru had followed behind them, stopping every now and then to throw forth peace signs while saying, "Goku! Hero of the world!"

Laughing, Goku realized that, once again, he would be sporting that title. A realization hit him though, and he stopped with a frown.

This time, his reward would be starvation.

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-_11/13/04_-


	25. The Last Dragonball

CHAPTER 25:   
The Last Dragonball

Trunks waited anxiously in the pilot's seat, tapping his fingers impatiently against the armrests. His hands were numbed from the cold, and his cheeks burned. His rapid breathing made the inside of his chest sting with every inhalation of the freezing air, but he ignored everything as his mind went through every type of disaster that could occur on the way down, ranging from Goku's life support running out along the way, to random meteors striking the ship and being unable to dodge them without controls.

"Honestly, Trunks, you are probably one of the most paranoid people I'll ever know." Pan was leaning back in her chair, watching him fret about the whole mess with a grin on her face.

He knew that he nervous, but he had no idea why she wouldn't be feeling it, too. This was the last dragonball. Somehow, they had problems with _every single_ dragonball they had to retrieve, and Trunks just _knew_ that something bad was going to happen along the way down. It was just fate for them. It always happened. And this time, they were relying solely on a little boy to bring them in safely. If anything happened to him, there was nothing Trunks could do.

Pan seemed to have faith in Goku, though. At least that was a start. Trunks stopped tapping for a moment as he tried to take a deep breath and calm down. There would be no use flipping out about this. He'd have more than enough time to lose his head later, when having to deal with not only cleaning up the ship, but rewiring the entire control panel, trying to locate where all the problems were.

He tried his hardest not to think of how long they would be delayed because of this problem. They had a little less than a month to get home. If his calculations were correct, it would take them about three weeks to reach Earth. Although they would have a grace period of several days to fix the ship, it still didn't get Trunks to stop worrying about what horrible thing might happen on the way back home. They always managed to get themselves into trouble one way or another, without exception. Something was bound to go wrong.

He began tapping again, closing his eyes. If worse came to worse, and they wouldn't be able to make it back home, they'd just have to land on a nearby planet and make a wish on the black star dragonballs for the Earth to not explode for another year. And then, they'd have to start all over, from scratch. It wasn't a very appealing idea, but at least it was an alternative to the Earth exploding again. Except this time, it wouldn't be Majin Buu behind its destruction; it would be all their faults.

The radio transmitter that he had installed in Goku's helmet buzzed a bit, and snapped him out of his thoughts temporarily. He leaned forward and pressed the transmitter button, "Goku? Goku, are you there?"

The radio buzzed for a moment and then went silent again. Trunks growled and hung his head in his hands, very tempted to start tapping again.

"Trunks come on, calm down. He's probably just getting situated under the ship. It's only been a few minutes." Pan tried to give him a reassuring smile.

"I'll be calm when we land." Trunks huffed once and stared at the radio, as if expecting to see any visible signs of communication. Even a little red light or something would make him feel better.

"You know, Trunks, I never got how you can just sit there and think. For the past few minutes, I've been talking to you, and you've been in your own little world."

Trunks blushed slightly and looked at her, "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"I was asking what you wanted to tell people about our rings."

"Ah." The dreaded topic. He had been doing everything he could to force that thought out of his mind. It didn't seem as important to him as landing the ship properly. In his anxiety about safely getting the ship to the surface of the planet, he had completely forgotten to worry about the rings.

Trunks looked beyond her for a moment, trying to formulate some thoughts. He focused in on her face and watched her eyes. In the dim lighting, they looked charcoal black. They also looked as if they were searching for something, or perhaps expecting a response that would ease their tension. Trunks really had no idea what to say. He coughed and felt his nose burn him from the cold. He sniffed and rubbed his nose, thinking. "How about we just say they are souvenirs. You know, mementos."

"That we wear every single day?"

"No... Hmm..." Trunks reached out his left hand and took her right hand in his own. "I know, maybe we could say that they are friendship rings that we got on the trip and we vowed never to take off? I mean," he paused, "that wouldn't really be a _lie_..." He thought, looking up, "Maybe more like... bending the truth..."

"How about we just _tell_ them the truth Trunks? They'd understand, especially with Grandpa backing us up."

Trunks looked down and lost a lot of grip on her hand. "You know, I'm sure my mom would be thrilled to hear that we eloped to some foreign moon, especially since she has been on my case for years, trying to get me to go out and meet people. But," he looked up again, concerned, "I'm not quite sure how the news would be taken by _your_ parents." He scratched his head with his right hand, thoughtfully, "You are only fifteen, you know."

"So?" Pan's eyebrows knotted downward as she raised her voice slightly, "Are you saying that I'm a little girl?!"

"Oh! Uh, n-no!..." He stuttered, trying to find a way to reword his statement slowly without incurring her wrath, "No, Pan! I'm not. I'm just saying that... _they_ might consider you still _their_ 'little girl'. I mean, you're their _only_ child, Pan, and I'm not sure they will be too thrilled to find out you eloped with me."

"You keep saying that, but we _didn't_ elope! We were forced into it."

"Honestly, Pan, do you really think that they'll _believe _that?" Trunks sighed, "They might understand that we had to do it for a dragonball, yes, but once the story goes through the grapevine, it's going to find ways of being severely altered; and their interpretation of it all will find ways of changing, _especially_ the more they talk about it." He squeezed her right hand, "I'd rather just play it safe and keep it on the low-down that we did that. Do you disagree? Because, if you disagree with me, I'd really like to hear why you –"

The radio crackled a moment, breaking Trunks from his thought, _"– Trunks? Pan?_"

Trunks desperately pounced on the radio and pressed the transmitter button, "Goku!!! Goku, are you okay?! How are things out there?!"

"_Man, this suit is so much warmer than the ship! I love it. Why can't I wear this _all_ the time?_"

"Goku, are you underneath the ship? Is everything going according to plan?"

"..._I should get Chi Chi to make me a suit like this for winter. Whoever designed this did a really good job_..."

"We're about to enter the atmosphere. The slower you take the ship, the better, got that? The resistance will cause a great deal of turbulence the faster you go."

"_... But they need to install some sort of little trap door in the helmet, you know, for food, because I can't stand the idea that I'd have to take this thing off every single time..._"

"Goku, can you even hear me?!"

"_Yeah, I can hear you. They need to make a diving suit like this. This is a really comfortable outfit, and since it can seal air out, you'd think it could work underwater as well!_

"Goku, I want you to slow the ship down."

"_Man, can you imagine... if I could go underwater with one of these things, I could actually pick out the fish I'd want to catch. Do you realize how much more fun fishing would be?!_"

Pan chuckled in herseat as Trunks growled, "He's not taking this seriously." He pressed the transmitter button, "Did you hear me, Goku? Slow the ship down!!!" He released the button and looked down, huffing angrily.

"_...And think of all the fish I could catch when fishing with Gohan and Goten... and Pan! Pan, you could come along as well, and Krillin! Wow, Krillin, I wonder what's he up to nowadays..."_

Trunks pressed the button again and yelled into the microphone, "Listen, Goku, your babbling is great and all, but you really need to concentrate on holding up the ship and slowing down!"

Pan got in a word before Trunks released the button, "Yeah, Grandpa, you should listen to Trunks. He's completely flipping over here!"

"_Why do you guys keep interrupting me? I have everything under control. So anyway, I was thinking that maybe you could install a little fishing rod on the back of the suit and maybe a little bait bucket on the side – with a lid on it of course, because I don't want the bait getting out, and.... Oh wow! That's such a great idea! You could put LIVE bait in it, and you can swim with the bait and...._"

A sudden surge of enraged fury coursed through him. Trunks couldn't believe how Goku was acting. With a scream of anger, Trunks brought his fists down on the dashboard with a loud crack and lowered his head to pound it a few times in frustration.

Suddenly, there was a high pitched whine of circuitry going back online. Dozens of lights lit up on the control panel and the coordinate chart came back onscreen. The lights in the room shone brightly with resurged power as Trunks sat in puzzlement, his head still on the dashboard.

He lifted his head up, blinking twice. Everything was working again, as if by some miracle. He sat back, his mouth open and eyes wide. He looked to Pan in bafflement, feeling confused and struck dumb. After a moment, he barely squeaked out, "It's working...?" He looked at the control panel which lined the dashboard again, all the lights on and blinking on standby mode. "It's working..." He jumped up, out of his seat, throwing his hands up toward the Kais, screaming out in delight, "IT'S WORKING!"

Trunks grabbed the radio and yelled into it, "Goku! Hold on tight, I'm taking control!" He threw the radio to the side and grabbed the steering wheel.

"_Huh? What do you mean? I thought that I – Ahhh!!!"_

Trunks lurched the ship forward through the atmosphere, laughing as he navigated the ship toward the surface. Finally, something_ good_ happened to them! Although it was long overdue, it was a pleasantly surprising birthday present.

"Alright, Giru! Are you pumped for helping us find the dragonball?"

"-giru giru-! -giru giru-!" Giru jumped up from his spot in the corner and did a little flip. "Dragonball detected! Dragonball detected!"

Those were the most glorious words Trunks had ever heard.

----------

They landed on the edge of a white snowy cliff. Although the weather was currently windy, ominous clouds loomed overhead threatening a snowstorm. The temperature, according to Giru, was 257 below zero, which wasn't much better than the predicted –269, but they'd take whatever they could get. And nothing, not a low temperature or an impending blizzard, or a buried dragonball could get Trunks down at the moment. He was in an excellent mood.

It was funny when they saw Goku again. Apparently the friction with the atmosphere had burned away most of his spacesuit and clothes underneath. He was practically naked in the frigid weather, and was more than delighted to go change in the bedroom. When he came out, he was layered in about ten of his gis, yet still shivering and complaining from the cold.

Trunks knew that they would have to find the dragonball quickly. Even though he and Pan were well layered, after several minutes in the planet's extreme weather, all of their lives would be in danger. The minute any of them found themselves getting tired, they'd have to seek shelter. He didn't want either of them, especially Pan, getting hypothermia. Even layers wouldn't be able to keep out _this_ kind of cold.

After they all were ready, Trunks jumped down from the ship and was met with such an intense shock, he almost lost his ability to breathe. Every part of his body was shot, almost instantly freezing when impacted with the temperature. The only parts of his body that had any heat were his hands, snugly pinning hand warmers under his gloves. He was so happy he remembered to buy those. They were the only things really keeping him alert on this planet while all his life was being sucked right out of him.

He heard someone drop down behind him and laboriously turned around to see to see who it could be. He found that keeping his eyes open hurt at this point. Squinting, his vision settled on Goku shivering and breathing irregularly, his breath coming out in clouds.

"_-gasp-_ Guys... _-gasp-_ It's so cold... _-gasp-_ And I – _-gasp-_" He wrapped his arms around his chest to retain any bit of warmth he could, "And I thought that _-gasp-_ the _ship_ was cold! Aaaa... AAACHOOO!!"

Pan jumped down, following by Giru, and dusted the snow off of her ankles slowly. "Grandpa, maybe you should just stay behind and guard the ship. I don't want your cold getting any worse."

"I'm fine." Goku frowned and hugged his arms around himself tighter.

Trunks walked up to Giru and took him in his hands. "Giru, how far is the dragonball from here?"

"50 meters ­-giru giru-."

"Alright you two; let's head out. The faster we find this ball, the better." Trunks tried to ignore the icy weather and walked in the direction the blinking light indicated on the back of the robot. When he reached the cliff edge, he jumped down and sensed the other two following him.

The winds were really beginning to pick up. Trunks had let Giru fly by himself, as he spent all his reserved strength just trying to keep his coat secured tightly around himself, walking into the forceful gusts of air. It was really hard to tell where they were really going. The whole world was disorienting, since it was covered in blankets upon blankets of ice. Everything looked the same, as if it were a frozen desert wasteland. It was really hard fathom how any life used to exist here at all.

Although Goku had done his best to hide his anguish, after he started losing feeling in his legs and felt his face freeze over, he had taken to complaining. Trunks and Pan let him, though. As long as he was alert enough to whine, it showed he still had energy left and was okay. Besides, his rants were keeping them both alert as well, even though Goku kept saying the same thing.

"Okay...guys... when we're done... I need a jacket. Or maybe a pelt. Or maybe a microwave? Put me on the _stove_?"

Pan sighed and turned to the robot, "Where is it, Giru? If we don't hurry, Grandpa's brain will freeze right along with his body."

Suddenly, Trunks and Pan heard something collapse behind them and Goku's rambling was cut short. They turned around to see that a large hole had opened up in the ground they had been walking on. What was frightening was that Goku was gone.

At first, Trunks had the panicked feeling that Goku had somehow fallen through a frozen lake of some sort and was in serious trouble. "Goku?!"

Pan saw the hole and brought her hands to her cheeks, "Oh no! Grandpa!"

"Goku!!" Trunks treaded through the snow to the edge of the hole and looked down. A vast emptiness of a cavern was below them, but no sign of the boy. "GOKU!" A sudden wave of fear encompassed him. They couldn't lose Goku now. If he passed out from the fall, he would die within less than a minute, considering the cold. He turned to Pan with a determined look. "Pan, stay here and stay calm! I'm going to go find him."

Before Trunks could jump down, however, another sound came from where they had just been standing. A hand emerged, followed by another. They felt around for some good support and pushed hard, causing a head to pop from the ground. Goku grinned at the two happily and pushed his body out of his newly created hole.

"Hey guys, look what I found in the snow!" He grinned even more widely and held up the Two Star Dragonball. The seventh dragonball. It was all theirs!

Pan squealed and clapped her hands, temporarily forgetting the cold. "Yes!" She threw her hands forward and made peace signs with her gloves. Giru followed suit, bleeping something about Goku being the hero of the world.

After not only seeing that Goku was alright, but that he found the last of the dragonballs, Trunks felt a tidal wave of relief hit him. "You... you did it, Goku. I can't believe it!" Trunks smiled, "But you sure did give us a scare!"

Goku did a little dance in the snow, twirling around, tossing the ball up, and catching it. "Finally we can go home!" He laughed and smiled at the two, "And the first thing I'm going to do is have some of Chi Chi's best homemade noodles!"

----------

----------

-_11/18/04_-


	26. Promises to be Broken

CHAPTER 26:  
Promises to be Broken

Trunks slicked his wet hair back with his fingers and leaned over, frowning in the mirror. Turning his face sideways, he opened his mouth in a distorted yawn as he felt his cheeks. Grunting slightly, he lowered his head to wash his hands and then, taking the can of shaving cream in his right hand, sprayed some foam into his left. When he put the bottle down, it made a little clanking sound that echoed in the bathroom. He worked up a thick lather in his hands and then looked up again to form another frown.

He absolutely detested facial hair. Luckily for him, it took a long time to grow any stubble, but when his hair did decide to show itself on his face, he was cursed with his father's genes of having it wiry and prickly. It was almost painful to just even stroke his chin while in thought. That facial hair needed to _go. _

As he spread the lather on his cheeks, he heard the door open behind him. Feeling a rush of cooler air enter the steamy room, he raised his eyes to look in the mirror, half-mindedly curious while he worked the foam around his jawbone.

Pan called out tentatively from behind the door, "Trunks, are you decent?"

Trunks chuckled as he spread the lather around his mouth, careful to cover every last annoyingly stiff bristle. "Well, if you call a towel decent. Did you need anything?"

Pan let out a barely audible moan and weakly said, "Could you pass me the aspirin?"

"Aspirin?" Trunks raised one eyebrow slightly as he reached for his razor. "You can come in, you know."

He noticed the door creak open a bit further as he opened his mouth and brought the razor to one of his sideburns. With careful strokes, he would make sure his face would feel as smooth as Goku's within minutes. While shaving, he noted Pan enter the bathroom almost groggily and open her medicine cabinet. Although his instinct told him to keep his mouth shut, he couldn't help itching from curiosity, "Why do you need aspirin?"

"Pain killers. Any… _any_ pain killers will do…" Pan sorted through the cabinet next to him, sighing. "Where _are_ they? Aren't they supposed to be in the medicine cabinet…?" She clutched her stomach and moaned again, leaning against the sink for support.

Trunks paused in mid-stroke and turned to face her, looking concerned. "Is something wrong? Why are you in pain?" He smiled and resumed his shaving, turning to look in the mirror. "Oh, I get it. You ate too much, and your stomach hurts?"

"No…"

"Or how about, you ate too little, and you're hungry?"

"No."

He brought his razor to his other cheek and began taking short strokes, "Let's see… could it be food poisoning? Too much of Goku's frozen food?"

Pan groaned and pushed him away from the sink as she opened up his medicine cabinet, ridding him of any mirror to see. Trunks waited patiently before she closed the cabinet only to moan, leaning against his side of the double sink. He walked around her and began to continue his shave using her mirror for his reflection. Grinning, he saw how she clutched her stomach and felt an urge to tease her, "Don't tell me you're _pregnant_ or anything, because I'll have a hard time believing that." He chuckled while his eyes flickered between her and the mirror.

Pan barked a loud, "No!" before slamming her fists on the sink counter. After a pause, she cried out, "Where are the pain killers?!" She turned to him with a pleading face, "You don't have any _morphine_ or anything on you, do you?"

Trunks grinned and began to shave the area under his chin. "First, you tell me what's wrong with you, and then I'll help you look for the medicine. How does that sound?"

Pan looked away, her cheeks turning pink, "You don't want to know."

"Sure I do." Trunks worked on shaving the area between his mouth and his nose, intent on keeping that area clean-shaven, unlike the mustache his father had been sporting before they left on the galaxy tour.

"No, it's none your business."

He chuckled slightly. "Tell me, Pan, or I won't help you."

"Augh! Fine!" Pan stood up, still looking away so Trunks couldn't see her red cheeks, "I have _cramps_, _okay?!_"

Trunks' razor slipped and caused a paper-cut gash above his lip before dropping to the sink. His hand instinctively went to tend to the small wound as his cheeks flushed a bit.

There was a long pause. Trunks' cheeks continued to grow more colorful as he held his breath from embarrassment. After taking a moment for his mind to slowly gain control over his body again, Trunks grinned and let out a small, "Oh," before looking away.

He coughed a bit, using his hand as a shield to cover his growing smile. "Well, in that case," he coughed again, trying to hold back embarrassed laughter, "maybe you should ask Giru. He _did_ clean the whole ship, you know. He may have put the pain killers in another location or something." He chortled slightly and wiped away the drop of blood that formed above his lip, holding up the razor for some finishing touches.

"Yeah…" she awkwardly stood straight and brought her hand up to push back her bangs. "I guess I'll go find him, then." She balled her fists, "And then I'm going to knock some sense into him for stealing my medicine away!"

Trunks chuckled under his breath, "Don't hurt yourself."

She pushed herself away from the sink and staggered toward the door, growling, "He better not have eaten it!" Through the mirror's reflection, he grinned widely as he watched her leave.

Giru probably _was_ the culprit behind some of the missing items lately. After they had left the ice planet and turned the temperature back to normal, Goku had taken too ill to get out of bed and Pan was too lazy to clean the ship. Trunks didn't want to do all the work himself, so he had bribed the robot to clean for them in exchange for an 'upgrade'.

Trunks had never seen a place get so clean so fast. That robot worked day in and day out, only pausing for an hour or two to rest every other night. Within four days, not only was the hallway fixed up, but the kitchen wall was rebuilt, the cabinets organized, the clothes laundered, the blankets mended, and, to Trunks' great delight, Giru had even done small errands, like re-arranging the capsules stored in the launching bay into numerical order. That robot most _definitely_ earned his upgrade. So, over the course of two weeks, working almost non-stop to get the programming right, Trunks gave him one.

It was quite an experience, being able to open Giru up again. This time, instead of doing his best to stay clear of the wiring, he spent a great deal of time actually studying the technology that lay inside the robot. After some careful planning, he had been able to install capsule technology inside Giru, so Giru could store a hundred times as many items inside himself as previously. As a part of the robot's upgrade, Trunks installed weaponry inside Giru, for the just-in-case event when the 'danger' would get too great. It had been fun for Trunks to design several missile launching configurations. In addition, Trunks had installed Goku's new film inside Giru, and, as a special bonus for Pan, he hardwired an advanced pragmatics program into Giru's hardware and installed a chip which would let him perform 'rock paper scissors,' for the next time Pan would get bored.

By using the capsule system inside Giru, a great many installation upgrades became possible for the future, and Trunks could hardly wait to think of new ideas. Fiddling around with Giru had managed to keep Trunks happily preoccupied for the two weeks following the possession of the last dragonball.

For several days after Giru's completion, however, Trunks had found himself severely lacking a purpose on the ship. With everything looking brand new, fixed up, upgraded, cleaned, and organized, and with the ship on auto-pilot, heading straight home, Trunks realized he suddenly had a great deal of free time to just lounge about and do absolutely nothing. That was a first for him. For the past ten years, there was _always _something for him to worry about, even slight things in the back of his mind, whether they were far-off concerns like taxes or scheduling events for holidays, or recent ones like whom he would meet for lunch and what they would discuss… there was always _some _kind of problem on Trunks' mind.

But not now. And, it felt a little strange for him to be able to get away with doing… _nothing_. Even _thinking_ got boring after a while. Nowadays, while sitting alone in the cockpit, he would often have repetitive thoughts, and after some time, he'd feel an incredible urge to express what was on his mind. For some reason, he was having a more difficult time holding in a lot of his ponderings.

He smiled to himself as he turned on the faucet and ran his hands under the water. Pan was probably rubbing off on him. After a year with her, it just seemed natural that she was influencing him to regain a few of his old impatient ways. That was only one of many things she'd affected about him. He really didn't know if he could be considered a different person by this point. Because it happened so gradually to him, he felt as if he didn't change that much, but he knew that the others, after not seeing him for a year, would be able to tell him first thing. He was curious to ask his sister if she noticed anything different about him… other than the ring, of course. A lot could happen to a person within a year.

The year was coming to an end, soon. In a few days, they would be home, leaving them two days short of a full year since Goku had been turned into a twelve year old boy again.

Trunks splashed some water on his face, trying to rid any excess shaving cream from his cheeks. His thoughts were centered on Goku as he grabbed another towel and wiped his face. Would the year marker be considered Goku's thirteenth birthday? Although his official 'birthday' (or more like 'finding day' since he was found in the woods as a child) was half a year ago, his body would be thirteen years old soon.

Trunks smirked slightly. Perhaps, for Goku's physical birthday, he'd get Goku a razor. It was all he could do to keep from chuckling aloud when he considered how Goku's voice might start changing soon due to puberty.

Trunks slung his second towel around his neck and opened the door to the cool hallway. He thought of how Goku would soon be growing a beard. Trunks' eyes lit as this suddenly inspired an idea for another Giru upgrade. Perhaps he could install a synthesized skin-like layer over his outer shell, and offer him the ability to create an actual face for himself. Sure, it was an outrageous idea, but if Giru liked the sound of it, then Trunks could start on a new project. That sounded like it could entertain him for some time.

Trunks sighed. He seriously needed to do _something_. He was running out of 'Newton' magazines and physics books to read, and he didn't know how much longer he could last in this boredom!

Now he was beginning to sound like Pan.

He smiled a bit as he thought of how great of a friend she had ended up becoming to him. It was hard to imagine that there had ever been a point when he ever thought badly of her. Now, whenever she crossed his mind, a warm feeling of belonging and kinship would make him melt in happiness. It was a new feeling to him. He had never felt so trusting of a friendship.

He wanted to do something for her when they returned. But, he didn't know how or what. Perhaps he'd be able to take her out somewhere, or work on something for her, or take her on a vacation… or anything along those lines. He would do everything in his power to not have their friendship drift apart, even if it meant sparring with her and his dad just to be included and do something with her every Friday.

Now that he was thinking of Pan… Where exactly was she, anyway? The ship seemed to be unusually quiet for being the middle of the afternoon, or whatever 'afternoon' they could pretend to have in outer space. He walked around to each room, knowing there were very few places she could have vanished to.

----------

After checking the lounge, the kitchen, the bedroom (where he changed into King Kai's comfortable gi which he never got around to wearing very often, careful not to wake Goku from his nap), the launching area, the laundry room, and the cockpit, there was only one last place to look. He stepped on the small elevator that led up to the observation deck and waited patiently as it slowly lifted him up to the second level of the ship.

The room was small and shaped like a dome. They three often came into this room to observe the new planets they would soon be landing on. Unlike the cockpit, this room was built for leisure and relaxation time while observing the universe around them. The place resembled a planetarium, lit only by dim lights from the edges of the round floor.

When he reached the observation deck, Trunks saw that Pan had taken a blanket and lain it across the floor, lying back to watch the stars with her head propped up on a pillow.

He walked up to her and sat down, crossing his legs on the blanket. In the dim lighting, he could make out most of her dark silhouette. Everything was a shade of gray. He clasped his hands in his lap and smiled slightly toward her resting figure.

Pan lifted her head a bit to look at him, then leaned back, closing her eyes. "You look nice. Wearing something different, I see."

Trunks looked down toward his hands. "Yeah, it seemed comfortable enough, and I was too lazy to change into a suit. Especially if I'm just going to lounge about doing nothing all day…"

"Welcome to my world." Pan took a deep breath and tried to focus her ki.

Trunks smiled slightly, then noticed how she was so tense, even though she was trying her best to relax. "So… what are you doing here in this room? Meditating?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to go some place where I could forget my pain, I guess." Pan opened her eyes and turned her head to face him.

Trunks took her right arm in his left hand and stroked it once in a friendly gesture. "Never ended up finding the medicine?"

"Oh no, I did." Pan forced a small grin, "Apparently Giru thought that pain killers went in the same cabinet as vitamins. They weren't too hard to find."

"And you're still in pain?"

"Trunks, let's not talk about my pain. I've suffered far worse in my life, trust me. And it makes me uncomfortable talking about it with you."

Trunks chuckled, "Alright, sorry. I guess I'm kind of numbed to the topic." He brought his right hand to his cheek, leaning his elbow against his knee while remembering home. "My sister complains about her cramps _all_ the time."

"Yeah well…" Pan took a deep breath and laid her hands across her stomach, "I don't. And I'm nothing like your sister."

Trunks tapped his left hand against his knee a few times, spending a moment to find words for a thought. "You, know, Pan…" he paused before continuing, "I still don't understand why you two grew apart. You two were so close when you were little."

She huffed in response, "Yeah, and then we moved on to different things." Pan looked away from him, watching the stars.

"So?" Trunks raised an eyebrow toward her and stopped stroking her arm. He moved his left hand to her shoulder and squeezed it gently, "You two don't have many things in common, but your personalities are very much alike. I think you two could find a lot of things to talk about, but you just never gave your friendship a chance after you drifted apart." He waited to hear any rebuttal on her part, but when he was met with silence, he felt pressed to continue his statement, "I mean, look at us."

Pan turned her head to face him as Trunks continued, still holding his head with an elbow propped on his knee, "We don't have very much in common other than our heritage, do we? But I feel I can really talk to you about anything. I feel comfortable around you. I don't think I need to keep any secrets from you. I trust you, and that _trust_ composes our friendship, Pan." He stroked her neck once and then brought his hand back to her arm.

"Trust, huh?" Pan smiled slightly and adjusted her arm so she took his right hand in hers. "So…" She looked up toward the stars above her, "do you feel you can talk to me about anything?"

"Anything?" Trunks blinked a moment as a variety of potential meanings crossed his mind. He didn't want to sound like a hypocrite, and he wanted Pan to be able to trust him, so he nodded his head and hesitantly said, "Sure."

Pan began to intertwine her fingers through his as she turned to look at him again, a mischievous grin playing on her face. "Trunks…" She paused, formulating her thoughts. "I've been wondering lately… I mean, this thought has been on my mind." Her grin widened, "What were you like when you were younger?"

Trunks' eyebrows furrowed down at her question. It was easy for him to recollect memories of things he used to do, in ways he used to behave, but to actually interpret the person he used to be? That was a somewhat challenge for him. He wasn't quite sure how to put his life to words. His gaze wandered down to her hand in his as he thought of ways to express his life, what he was like, and how much he had changed.

After Trunks hesitated with his response, Pan sat up to look at him with a glint in her eye. With a humored grin she released his hand and poked him lightly in the chest. "I know you weren't always like this. I heard all kinds of stories about you when you were younger. Apparently you and my Uncle Goten had a bit of fun every once in a while."

Trunks looked beyond her as he tried to work out some words. "Well… yeah, I guess…"

"It's just hard to imagine. You've grown up to be such a computer nerd…" Pan leaned over slightly and said quietly with an impish smirk. "You know what I believe?"

Trunks shook his head, still unsure of how to respond to her. "What do you believe?"

Pan chuckled and said even lower, in almost a whisper, "I believe that you have…" she grinned mischievously, "another _side_ to you. You know…" She nudged him with her elbow, "Your _wild_ side."

Trunks scoffed and held in laughter, "My wild side?"

She smirked teasingly, "Whatever happened to it? I hear you used to be quite the party-goer."

Trunks looked and saw a devilish glint in her eye. She was bringing up such old memories, of a person he used to be once upon a time, before he had grown to learn responsibility. When he thought of himself younger, it was as if he were pondering a different person completely, the memory of himself seemed so foreign. He chuckled a bit, mostly to himself, as he tried to make out whatever became of him, "Well…" He paused to work out all the reasons why he had changed, "I guess my job. Perhaps age…" His eyebrows went up in thought, "Maturity…" He looked down at her with a bemused grin, "Why?"

Pan sat forward, crossing her legs like he, and grabbed her pillow to hug it. Bouncing slightly from excitement, she beamed at him, "Can you tell me how you used to be? What were you like when you were younger?"

Trunks smiled. "Eh…well…" He looked up as his hands clasped again in his lap. "I guess you could say that I was 'wild' in a way…" He looked at her for a moment, then looked to the side, to absently gaze at the stars. "But it was more complicated than that."

Pan smiled, "Can you tell me a funny story from when you were younger? I mean… what did you do, back in those days, for people to consider you that way?"

Trunks laughed, "Well, it was more like what they _suspected_ I did, since I got away with mostly every act I pulled."

"Like what?"

"Like… Let's see…" Trunks tried his hardest to rack his brain for memories of his younger days, especially for memories that would entertain Pan. Cases of him being wild… When was he 'wild'…? He knew of times when he did things solo, mostly to his mother, like hide her cigarettes in various plants so she would give up smoking, and there were cases when he and Goten did team-effort collaborations, like the concept of Mighty Mask when they were little, but he would hardly say that he was _wild_. The only times when he really could be considered that was when he was in high school and threw parties his parents and sister would never remember. Like that one time…

"Ah…" Trunks' eyes lit up when he thought of a great story to tell Pan. He used to brag about this event for years, and somehow, miraculously, it never made its way back to his mother or father. It was the biggest kept secret in his teenage years, and it was highly memorable, meaning it might entertain Pan for a bit. He smiled over to Pan and chuckled, "I have one. The best story of them all." Laughing a bit, he pointed a finger to her in a slight warning gesture, "Hehe, my parents would kill me if they ever found out. You have to promise never to tell my parents, okay?"

Pan's eyebrows raised and her eyes widened as she grinned in anticipation. Nodding quickly and hugging her pillow tighter, she leaned over to whisper, "What happened?"

Still chuckling, Trunks told his story, raising his hands to gesture casually with the tale. "Hehe, well, I was seventeen, so you must have been around three. Goten was over my place, and we put sleeping pills in my parents' drinks…" Trunks paused to shake his head in disbelief, "Man, they were knocked out cold that night." He looked at her and continued, "And, after we made sure they were asleep, we had a house party." He laughed, "They were sleeping soundly while we threw the biggest bash of the year!"

"Didn't they notice the place was trashed in the morning?"

Trunks shook his head, "No, no. When they woke up, Capsule Corp. was completely spotless. Goten and I had stayed up all night cleaning the place. They had _no_ idea that we did that. We had taken special measures to prevent them from ever finding out." He grinned, "Like…as a precaution, just in case the alcohol would have left a smell, most of the alcohol was served outside in the garden. That also prevented beer from spilling in the house." He brought his right hand over to stroke his chin in slight nostalgia. Looking up, he smiled, "Man, that was a great party… Gosh, there must have been hundreds and hundreds of people there."

Pan smiled toward him, "It sounds like it was a great party. Did you ever do anything like that again?"

Trunks laughed, "Not nearly as large as that one event. But yes, we did resort to drugging my parents every once in a while. Wow, if my dad ever knew I did that…" Trunks just continued to laugh while shaking his head at the thought.

Pan chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret. But I _may_ mention it to Uncle Goten…"

"No, no! Don't!" Trunks flung his arms out, shaking his hands a bit to get her to stop. "He'll _kill_ me for telling you! Nobody knows about that, not even Gohan or Goku or even Bra! She was too young to remember that. He won't understand why I let out such a big secret."

"Why is it such a big deal? It happened what? Eleven years ago?"

Trunks laughed, "Because he sometimes does it even today."

"Huh?" Pan's eyes widened in confusion.

"He doesn't throw parties anymore, but he knocks Chi Chi out cold when he brings a girlfriend over, because his mom doesn't give them any privacy." Trunks covered his mouth and chuckled into his hand.

Pan's eyebrows furrowed, "But why would he need…?" Her eyes widened as she suddenly got what Trunks was talking about, "Oooohhh!" Pan blushed and tried to hide it with the pillow. "I didn't know… he _does that_…"

Trunks laughed and covered his entire face with his hands in incredulity. "What do you _mean_, 'he does that'?!" Still laughing, he scoffed at her, "He's twenty-seven years old!"

"So?" Pan narrowed her eyes slightly while raising her eyebrows, "And you're twenty-nine, but that doesn't mean you sleep around." Pan coughed, "Or do you?"

Trunks blushed slightly and shook his head, "How could you even compare us?" He laughed nervously, "He has more of a dating life than even Mr. Satan!"

"Well, that doesn't mean he needs to use sleeping pills on Grandma. Do _you _sleep with every girl you date?"

Trunks' blush grew a bit more and his gaze shifted to the glass walls of the room, "I don't really date anymore."

Pan grinned, "Yes, but you're avoiding my question."

Trunks' cheeks were beet red and he tried to hide it by burying his face in his hands. She was too young to be asking him questions like that. Maybe if she were older, he'd feel more comfortable, but the thought of him discussing his sex life with Pan of all people made him feel a little awkward. "That's personal."

Pan laughed and pointed to Trunks, "But Uncle Goten's dating life isn't?!"

Trunks inhaled sharply and stood up. Standing above her, he pointed to her with a shaky finger, "I… I…" Still blushing, he looked away, "Don't…don't you go telling Goten I told you that!"

Pan stood up and left her pillow on the ground. Smiling, she outstretched her arms and took a step to bridge the distance between her and Trunks. She placed her hands on his waist and looked up to see his face. Trunks turned his head to look down at her, with a slightly confused expression.

"I'll tell you what," Pan grinned slightly, her eyes serious. "You tell me something nice about me, any one thing, and I won't ever tell anyone a word of anything you've ever said to me about them." She added, with a nod, "Including Uncle Goten."

Raising his eyebrows, Trunks smiled a bit, "All I have to do is say _one_ nice thing?"

"Uh-huh." Pan grinned.

"Eh," Trunks chuckled, "Is this some kind of blackmail?"

Pan nodded, "Uh-huh."

"I don't know, Pan…" Trunks teased while grinning, "One nice thing… I'm wracking my mind here!"

Trunks looked down at her, smiling. Looking at her, all his feelings for her, and every nice thought he had seemed to mesh into one emotion. Around her, he felt secure, he felt appreciated and adored. He felt like family, and he viewed her as an equal. When he looked at her, he saw a blossoming young lady with a fire in her spirit, who would never take no for an answer. He saw a true fighter in her and the adventure in her eyes. She made him want to improve in his talents, to impress her, to make her feel proud of him, and to look up to him. He felt a completeness in their friendship every time she was around him. She rubbed off on him, and helped him re-discover old passions and interests. She was a true friend, an honest person, a beautiful rising star in his life… But when Trunks looked at her, none of these thoughts could be put to words. They all came rapidly and then fled as another thought would fleetingly enter and leave his mind as he just watched her.

Trunks' smile had long faded, and his eyes were wide and mouth slightly open as he stared at her dumbly, trying to think of how he could phrase any of his feelings. A long time must have passed, but everything seemed like an even greater eternity to Trunks as he found himself suffering from muteness, his breath catching in his throat as he looked down on her. He could almost feel her disappointment, but when he tried so hard to speak, nothing could come out.

Pan's eyes unfocused for a bit, and then she blinked and inhaled deeply. For a moment, Trunks could see a trace of sadness, hidden when she looked down. She said nonchalantly, "I guess you can't think of even one, huh?" Letting out a sigh, she gently pushed herself away from him and leaned down to gather her blanket and pillow from the floor. "It's okay, Trunks, don't force yourself. I wasn't going to tell them anyway."

Trunks choked, outstretching his arm, "Pan…"

"It's okay, really." Pan smiled sadly, "I wasn't really expecting a compliment." She folded the blanket around her neck and hugged her pillow close, looking down. "I'm sorry for asking you such a personal question." She then began to walk toward the elevator.

Feeling an invisible barrier explode in his mind, Trunks felt his voice start, "No, Pan, wait…" Trunks gently grabbed her arm and stopped her in mid-stride. "I don't mind answering your question. It is I who should be sorry. I had just told you I wanted to be open with you, and then I hesitated… and… I _do_ want to be able to tell you anything. And I'm sorry… I'm sorry that I had a thought go through my head that you weren't old enough to talk about such things." He paused for a moment, looking down. "You _are_ old enough. You are old enough to make a great difference in my life, and you can get me to open up about things I've never talked about before. You are mature enough to affect me, to help me become a better person… You…" Trunks looked in her eyes, "You inspire me, Pan. You…"

It was paining him that he could not find the right words as Pan's cheeks began to flush. Letting out one compliment was like opening a chest full of emotions he'd been feeling and wanted to explain to her, but never was able to. She saved his life, she made him happy, she made him feel accepted, she even rejuvenated his love for inventions, his passions, his hobbies… When he would return home, he knew now, people _would_ say he'd changed. But there was no way… no way he could express it to her, how happy she had made him on the tour.

Trunks found himself caught in the moment, unable to think clearly. With his heart racing, his thoughts raging, his emotions reeling and a panic that coursed through his body and trembling hands, he pulled her closer. Shaking slightly, he pressed her against him and wrapped his arms around her back, holding her tightly to his body and breathing in the scent of her hair. When he felt her arms tightly hold him in return, he hugged her for a long time, enjoying her warmth against him as he tried so hard to work out his thoughts – feelings he had been holding inside for so long.

Still holding her, Trunks took staggering breaths and let it out… let _everything_ out that had been on his mind. Seized by the moment, his walls were torn down and he opened himself up to her completely, sharing a great part of his life which he never told anyone before.

"Every day I thank all the Kais that you came with us on this tour. Because of you, I can live, I can breathe, and I know that every breath I take is my own because I choose to live, rather than I have to live. Before you came along, there was a time when I seriously doubted the worth of my life. Sure, I was strong, my family was famous, I inherited an enormous trust fund and a company that holds a monopoly on almost every great invention… but I myself had no identity.

"I stood out only because my grandfather made a name of himself. I was forced to follow in footsteps – of my father's, to carry on Saiyan tradition, and of my mother's, to run the company while she concentrated on raising Bra. I became a tool for a job which I hated, for people whom I hated, of a life which I detested, wishing for friends whom I had lost contact with, a future family which I would never have time to pursue, and all dreams of adventure and mischief and any other remnants of my 'wild' days completely shot from my life."

Trunks paused and broke away from her, looking in her eyes before continuing with a slightly grin, "And can you believe that I actually didn't even want to come on this trip?" His arms tightened her grip around her back slightly as he watched her face with a sad smile. "When my dad said that Goten and I had to go on a trip into space, I had convinced myself more than anything that my life behind a desk, with a job I disliked with a passion, was preferable over adventure. I was so different. I had convinced myself that I was a different person entirely, conformed to everything my mother wished for me to be, and I listened to her because… because I love my mother." He paused, closing his eyes, "And I wanted her to be happy, and I wanted her more than anything to be proud of me." He opened his eyes and looked to Pan again, "I was living off of others' expectations of me, trying to gain their approval."

He laughed and shook his head, closing his eyes, "I had changed so much since I was younger. Years ago, I never cared about how they felt about me. I was always so confident with myself, wanting to be just like my dad who didn't give a damn what other people said about him. That's why I was so carefree… That's why I was so wild, so mischievous, so cunning when I was younger. I did what I wanted, and I would always find ways of doing things, even though nobody else approved." He laughed, "Like throwing that house party, for instance..."

Pan smiled a bit and leaned her head against his chest. Sighing a bit, she said, "I wish I could have similar stories to tell you. I…" She paused a moment before bringing her head back and looking at him, "I… I don't have adventures stories like you. I never got to fight Majin Buu. I don't even know what Broly really looked like. I've never thrown parties because I… I never had that many friends…" She looked down, sniffling a bit.

"But you do have stories, Pan." Trunks brought his hand to her chin and pointed her head to face his. "Adventures with me and your grandpa." His hand traced her jaw to her ear, and combed her hair back with his fingers. "And you do have friends." He paused his hand to smile at her. "At least, you have me. I'll always be your friend."

Pan's eyebrows raised in a slight frown. "You promise?"

Trunks smiled, "Of course."

Pan looked down for a moment. A long pause followed, and neither made a sound or a move as they were lost in their thoughts. Pan sighed and slowly said, "Trunks… Do you ever get a feeling? A feeling that something… bad… is lurking around the corner?"

"Huh? A bad feeling?" Trunks looked up, startled by her change in topic, "Sometimes, I guess…" He smiled at her, "But it's usually all in my mind. Why?"

"What if… What if you go home and something awful happens and then… What if you forget about me?"

Trunks could not help but laugh. "Pan, what could possibly go wrong?!"

Pan looked away, "I don't know… It's just a feeling I've been having lately…"

Trunks chuckled and grinned at her. "Okay, two things." He released her and held up his right index finger. "One: nothing is going to go wrong. We gathered all the dragonballs, the world is saved, and everyone can go about with their normal lives. Two," he held up a second finger, "There is no way I could ever forget you, so don't go about thinking such nonsense." He added, smiling, "You're just being silly."

Pan sighed a bit. "What if something comes between us…?"

Trunks laughed and shook his head, "And here you are, calling _me_ paranoid." He smiled down on her, "Listen to me, Pan. Nothing is going to go wrong, and even if something does, there's no way I could ever forget you."

Pan smiled, "Really?"

Trunks smiled and kissed her forehead. "If you ever want to see me, all you have to do is drop by my window, at home, or at my office, and you can see me whenever you like, okay?"

Pan blushed a bit and hugged him tightly. Trunks felt her heart beating against his chest and was moved to kiss her gently on the cheek. Closing his eyes, he whispered in her hair, "The safest and most welcome place you can be is by my side, Pan, no matter what. Your life will always be safe with me, and I would never let anyone hurt you again."

Pan snuggled against his neck, "You promise?"

Trunks smiled, "I promise."

----------

----------

-_11/26/04_-

---_This marks the end of the Black Star Dragonball Saga---_

---_Next Chapter: Outtakes of Chapters 1 – 26 (for the 'seventh inning stretch')_---

---_Upcoming Chapter 28: The beginning of the Baby Saga_---


	27. Outtakes!

CHAPTER 27:

Outtakes!

----------

You guys are in for a special treat! As a bonus, for finishing up the Black Star Dragonball Saga, I have decided to give everyone a nice 7th Inning Stretch with Outtakes from my story so far!

After each consecutive saga, I will be providing my readers with special 'bloopers' from the set. This is your special DVD edition, provided to you for no extra fee X)

Have fun and enjoy!

----------

Chapter 1: Stew

T: Pan, um… what exactly are you cooking?  
P: Stew.  
G: Ohhh, that sounds delicious! ::claps::  
T: What _kind_ of stew?  
P: I don't know. Hey GIRU! What kind of Stew should I make?  
T: ::mouth falls open:: What?! Are you telling me you're just throwing things into a pot and expecting them to come out tasting like a gourmet meal?! I mean… isn't that what you did _last time_ before you gave us all food poisoning?  
G: I dunno, I thought that what she made last time tasted pretty good.  
T: Don't _encourage_ the girl! This is a life or death situation! _Please_ tell me you didn't include a boot in that stew.  
P: Augh! If you are going to be that way, don't YOU make dinner tonight, Trunks, since tonight IS _YOUR TURN_!  
T: No… no, that's okay. 'Stew' sounds great right about now. ::tries to mimic an innocent Goku grin, but fails miserably::  
P: If you make that horrendous face at me again, I swear, I'm going to put that boot in the stew. And I'm going to make you _eat it!  
_G: ::whispers to Trunks:: She's on her period.  
T: Oooohhhh…!!!

----------

Chapter 2: Long Story Short

P: ::nods toward Trunks:: Yeah, I miss my Dad, but I can't wait to tell him all of _my _adventures. Now _I_ can tell _him_ bedtime stories of my travels with you and Grandpa! I'll be able to tell my kids about them, too. I can't wait for that.  
T: ::cringes, then smiles:: You know, speaking of bedtime stories, if you ever want me to tell you the story of how your grandpa and my mom met, I can tell the super-summary and spare you a lot of grief.  
P: Okay, tell me the super-summary.  
T: Huh?  
P: I said tell me the super-summary!  
T: Uh, alright. My mom ran into your dad when searching for a dragonball, convinced him to come along as her bodyguard, and they ended up getting in a lot of trouble along the way, making Goku become more powerful and experienced as he grew. And then everyone lived happily ever after.  
P: So that's it? That's the super-summary?  
T: Well… yeah, that's a super-summary…  
P: Your story _sucks!_ I can't believe I even made you waste your breath on that...!

----------

Chapter 3: Proposal

G: I guess now is the time we should be counting our lucky _STARS_ that a girl came with us on the trip! Now we'll have a _ball_, partying after the wedding!  
T: You're NOT FUNNY. You're SICK, Goku.  
G: Wow, Trunks, I don't think I've ever seen you this angry.  
T: Should I be HAPPY about this?!  
G: Yes! It's your wedding! At least smile!  
T: ::sucks it up and growls:: ::kneels before Pan:: Pan-chan, will you marry me?  
P: _NEVER!  
_T: …Huh? Wait a minute... ::blinks::  
G: ::confused:: That wasn't in the script…  
P: Yeah, I was taking some anger management courses before we left ::does a yoga breath:: and they said 'express your feelings before you jump into a life-altering decision.' ::fans herself:: It helps you cope with things better, and it is healthier for the inner spirit. ::pauses, breathes, and smiles:: Okay, Trunks, you can ask me again if you like. I'm ready this time!  
T: ::whispers to Goku:: She's _got_ to be kidding me…

----------

Chapter 6: Naked?!

G: Oh wow! You guys look great!  
P: We were just commenting on how we have to be naked when we enter the Temple.  
G: Okay. You know, there are a lot of people outside. Apparently word spread fast that two aliens were getting married in their chapel, and practically the whole city is gathered here!  
P: Grandpa! I don't think you heard me right. I said we have to be _naked!  
_G: No!  
P: Yes!  
G: No!!  
P: YES!  
G: Wow! Hmm… I don't understand why, but… What's so bad about that, Pan? I'm naked all the time. You've seen me naked before… ::tilts head::  
P: You baka, I'm not talking about _you_, I'm talking about Trunks!  
G: NO!!  
P: Yes.  
G: Now Trunks, I told you that you two would make a cute couple, but don't you think you're moving a little too fast on her?  
T: It's not my idea!  
G: You put one hand on her, Trunks, and I'm going to _kill you!!!  
_P: …?  
T: …?  
G: Oh wait ::flips through some pages:: I'm sorry, I was reading ahead to Gohan's part. What scene are we on again?

----------

Chapter 7: Making Up

TAKE 1:

T: Pan?  
P: ::drags Trunks into room::  
T: Pan, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to mess up the recitation. I didn't mean it, really!  
P: ::pushes him against the wall::  
T: Pan, what is wrong? What are you doing? Pan?!  
P: ::grabs his head and jams his mouth onto her lips, throwing her arms around him::  
T: ::eyes open wide, hands flail:: Mmhnmbm!  
P: ::continues to kiss him::  
T: ::tries to pry her off of him:: Mmhbm!! MmHBMM!  
P: ::steadfast, kissing him::  
T: ::stops resisting and wraps his arms around her, kissing her deeply::  
P: ??? Mhmmnm?!  
T: ::continues kissing her::  
P: ::breaks away:: Trunks, what are you doing?!  
T: _WOW,_ you are a great kisser! ::whistles::

TAKE 2:

T: Pan, what is wrong? What are you doing? Pan?!  
P: ::grabs his head and jams his mouth onto her lips, throwing her arms around him::  
T: ::eyes open wide, hands flail:: Mmhnmbm!  
P: ::continues to kiss him::  
T: ::tries to pry her off of him:: Mmhbm!! Hmmbmfm! ::accidentally grabs her breast:: …..Mmmmm!….  
P: ::steadfast, kissing him::  
T: MmHmmHmmHmmHmm!!!!!  
P: ::breaks away:: What now?  
T: Hahahahahahah!!! Sorry! Sorry, I'm so sorry, I just… Hahahahaha!!!

TAKE 12:

P: You'd better get this right, Trunks.  
"Action!"  
P: ::grabs his head and jams his mouth onto her lips, throwing her arms around him::  
T: ::eyes open wide, hands flail:: Mmhnmbm!  
P: ::continues to kiss him::  
T: ::tries to pry her off of him:: Mmhbm!! Hbmmfmm!!  
P: ::steadfast, kissing him::  
T: ::pushes her away:: Ooh, ouch! Oh, I have a cramp in my side. ::grins:: Sorry about that, I think we have to do the take again...!  
P: ::screams:: AAAAAA!!!! No way! That's _IT!!!_ ::picks up a lamp, ripping the cord right out from the wall:: ::throws the thing at him with all her might:: You are _purposely_ trying to mess up!!!  
T: Woa! Woah!!! ::dodges the lamp:: Can't you take a joke?! Hahahaha!!!

----------

Chapter 11: Joke Outtakes (Legitimate):

KK: Oh man, that's such a great saying, it could almost be considered… a SUPER SAYIN'!

T: So King Kai… What did one Kai say to another?  
KK: I dunno, what?  
T: Halo! ::snicker::  
KK: ::grumbles::  
P: I swear, Trunks, even Mr. Piccolo is funnier than you.

----------

Chapter 12: Hangover

P: "Ohhh…. Ohhh, ahh…"  
G: ::sits up groggily, rubbing his eyes:: Hey Panny… ::yawn:: How are you feeling today?  
P: Grandpa, don't talk to me right now. ::jumps down from the bed and slowly staggers toward her closet:: I feel so… sick… ::pauses:: I'm never… going to touch another coffee again… Augh ::sorts through her clothes in a slight daze::  
G: Pan, you shouldn't blame your hangover on the coffee. You should blame it on the alcohol.  
P: No, Grandpa. If anyone ever offers me a coffee, with or without alcohol ever again… I swear, I'm going to _beat the crap_ out of any person for even _saying_ the word.  
::Trunks enters the bedroom holding a tray::  
T: Good morning, guys! How about cup of coffee?

----------

Chapter 14: The Exorcist

(**Rated R**, so skip this if you are under 17!)

P: Oh no! ::sits up and reaches for Trunks::  
G: ::springs to his feet::  
Bby: ::liquid enters Trunks' body::  
G: We blew it!  
T: ::head rolls back, screams:: ::body trembles:: HeheheheHAHAHAHA!!! ::looks at them:: Fuck me! Fuck me! Hahahahaha!!!! ::head spins around::  
G: WOA!  
P: ACK!  
T: ::laughs maniacally as his head is spinning::  
P: Okay, wow… okay… Wow… this is a _little_ weird…

----------

Chapter 15: Hair Stylist

P: Ah, I get it now! You don't want to grow your hair out because then you'll look like Mirai! Am I right?  
T: Just concentrate on my hair.  
P: You knew full well that this year away from Earth, you could have let your hair grow out just like his, and you're purposely making me cut your hair so nobody compares you to him. I get it.  
G: ::knocks:: Hey Pan, after you're finished with Trunks, can you give me a hair trim too?  
P: What do you think I am?! _Your personal hair slave_? No way! You're keeping your hairdo.  
G: Aww, but Pan... Chi Chi always does it for me back home, and now nobody else can do it.  
P: Do I look like Grandma Chi Chi to you?! Can you look at me and honestly think I look _anything_ like Grandma Chi Chi?!  
T: ::looks to Goku::  
G: ::looks to Trunks::  
T: ::mouths: Should I say anything?::  
G: ::mouths: Better not. She'll just get angry::  
P: What are you guys whispering to each other?  
T: ::mouths: You're right::  
G: ::grins::  
P: What are you guys talking about?! ::snips off a large chunk of Trunks' hair::  
T: ….?!?!?! ::watches the clip fall to the ground:: Aaa….Aaa….Ahhh?!?!?!  
P: Oh… hehe… Oops?

----------

Chapter 19: Home Movie

T: You ready for some quality entertainment?"  
P: Only as long as it has a little more action than the last movie we watched ::munches popcorn::  
T: Shh, it's starting ::shuts off the lights::  
"_There was a time when evil ran rampant in the cities. Crimes were high, thieves lurked in all the shadows, and the world cried out for a hero. Little did they know that their prayers one day would be answered. A great hero had heard their call and came to set things right. Justice would prevail!"  
_T: ::sits next to Pan::  
P: ::leans over, whispers:: This movie sucks.  
T: Shhhh, just watch!  
"_I am the defender of liberty and justice! Champion of the weak! Shielder of oppression!"_ ::The Great Saiyaman jumps around, posing like a cheerleader:: "_Take note! Peace will prevail on Earth! Saiyaman is h–"  
_((cracking noise, slight snow appears on the screen))  
P: What's going on?  
T: Huh? That doesn't make any sense. What's wrong with the –?"  
((TV screen centers on Chibi Trunks, looking into the camera and wearing a towel))  
CT: _Goten, did you turn it on? Is the button on?  
_Gt: _Yeah, I think so!  
_P: What is this?  
T: I… I have no idea…  
CT: _Okay! We are rolling! Hello and welcome to our new bathtub talk show "Rub a Dub Tub" ::holds up a fake microphone::  
_T: OH MY _GOD!_ I mean ::cough:: Oh my _Kami!_ Okay, _yeah_, well, I guess that's the end of _this_ movie! ::stands up to press the TV's power switch::  
P: NO! Don't you dare turn this off!  
CT: _Today we are going to feature the 'Antamony' which is, uh… our, uh, bodies? Is that right, Mom?  
_Bulma(off-screen): _A-na-to-my, and yes, it sure is!  
_T: Oh my God… This was when we were filming home videos… We accidentally taped over the movie! I can't believe this... ::blushes::  
CT: _This is a naked body! ::removes towel and flashes the camera::  
_P: !!!!!!  
T: !!!!!!!!!!!!

----------

Chapter 24: Types of Tea

T: AaaaUGH! ::jumps back:: Goku!! I can't believe you! This was a new coat!  
P: ::turns to Goku:: That is sick. Will you at least TRY and blow your nose?  
G: ::sniffs:: I _can't._ I used up all the tissues.  
T: ::shakes head:: Use a towel or something to sneeze into, Goku. And, while you're at it, maybe you can wrap yourself up and use that as some kind of temporary overcoat.  
G: I told you, I'm fine.  
P: I know what we all need! ::grins, bringing her hands together:: I'm going to make us all some tea! That should warm us up.  
T: ::smiles:: Tea sounds really great, Pan.  
P: Awesome! So what kind would you guys like?  
T: Huh? What kind? ::looks to Goku::  
G: What kind do we have?  
P: Oolong and puar.  
T: Hehehe… No, seriously.  
::pause::  
P: …  
G: …  
T: ::cough:: Hehe..  
G: Heheheh…  
T: Hahahahaha...  
P: What's so funny?  
T/G: HAHAHAHA!!!

----------

Chapter 26: Trunks' Wild Side

TAKE 1:

P: I believe that you have another side to you. Your _wild _side.  
T: My wild side?  
P: Whatever happened to it? I hear you used to be quite the party-goer.  
T: Hah.. well… I guess my job. Perhaps age. Maturity… why?  
P: Can you tell me how you used to be? What were you like when you were younger?  
T: ::smiles:: Eh… well… ::looks up:: I guess you could say I was 'wild' in a way, but it was more complicated than that.  
P: Can you tell me a funny story from when you were younger? I mean… what did you do, back in those days, for people to consider you that way?  
T: ::laughs:: well, it was more like what they suspected I did, because I got away withalmost everything I pulled.  
P: Like what?  
T: Let's see… ::pauses to think:: Ah, I have one! The best story of them all. Hehe, my parents would kill me if they ever found out. You have to promise never to tell my parents, okay?  
P: What happened?  
T: Hehe, well, I was seventeen, so you must have been around three. Goten was over my place, and we put sleeping pills in my parents' drinks. Man, they were knocked out cold that night. After we made sure they were asleep, we had a house party. They were sleeping soundly while we threw the biggest bash of the year! They woke up, and we had stayed up all night cleaning the place. They had _no_ idea that we did that. Most of the alcohol was served outside in the garden just so no beer would spill in the house. Man, that was a great party… Gosh, there must have been hundreds of people there.  
P: Why is that the best story of them all?  
T: ::laughs:: Well, when I usually tell it, it's not to mention the party I had, but rather the personal things that happened that night.  
P: ::nudges Trunks:: what personal things?  
T: ::grins:: personal.  
P: Aww, but I'd love to hear. Why can't you tell me?  
T: Because you're not old enough to talk about such things. ::chuckles::  
P: I am too! Come on, why is it a big secret? If I were older, would you tell me?  
T: ::sighs with a grin:: Well, let me put it this way. I walked in a boy, and I came out a woman.  
P: ::gape:: Ex_cuse_ me?!  
T: Huh? ::blink:: What? ::looks to the director:: What did I say?

TAKE 2:

P: Aww, but I'd love to hear. Why can't you tell me?  
T: Because you're not old enough to talk about such things. ::chuckles::  
P: I am too! Come on, why is it a big secret? If I were older, would you tell me?  
T: ::sighs with a grin:: Well, let me put it this way. I walked in a boy, and walked out a man.  
P: Huh? Oh, you mean you had sex? I would hope so, especially if you were hosting such a party!  
T: Heh, yeah, well. I don't know if you'd really call it _sex_. Let's just say that I was _really_ drunk and, well, so was Goten, and well… um.  
P: You're _not_ about to tell me what I think you're going to tell me…?  
T: Oh no, no! Nothing like that… Well, maybe… I mean NO! Just… don't tell my parents, okay?

TAKE 3:

T: ::laughs:: Well, when I usually tell it, it's not to mention the party I had, but rather the personal things that happened that night.  
P: ::nudges Trunks:: What personal things?  
T: ::grins:: Personal.  
P: Aww, but I'd love to hear….  
T: Okay then. I'll tell the story, but don't say I didn't warn you! That night, I lost my virginity to the most beautiful women I have _ever_ known in my life! My great Kami, those two were the absolute _perfect_ beings. And, man… Oh, Pan, can you imagine… they were _twins!_ Ahh, you should have seen them. They were absolutely _gorgeous_, and they were from out of town.  
P: ::blushes:: Ehh…  
T: Ah man… That night was so great. It was definitely one of the best moments of my life. Gosh, I don't even remember their names, but yeah, that night was great.  
P: Uh, Trunks, that's… nice…  
T: Later on – man, it must have been years later – I ran into them when I was just out of college. They looked just as beautiful as the last time I saw them. Can you believe they didn't remember me? I mean, how many people have they _done_ in their lives for them to _forget_ me? Or else, maybe they were too drunk to remember what happened. That really could have been the case.  
P: Trunks, um… ::blush::  
T: Huh? ::pauses:: Oh, yeah! Uh, I mean "you're not old enough to talk about such things."  
P: Yeah, Grandpa, you might want to cut some of that.  
T: Wait a minute, 'Grandpa'? ::looks around:: Goku? ::gasps as he notices Goku hiding with the video camera:: _GOKU?!!! _You are _filming this_?

----------

----------

-11/27/04-


	28. Welcome Home

CHAPTER 28:  
Welcome Home

"There it is! There it is!" Pan jumped twice and ran to the dashboard, pressing herself against the glass. "Wow, it's so beautiful! Haha! It's Mother Earth! We're home!!!"

Trunks leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up, relaxing. Licking his fingers, he carefully turned a page in the 'Newton' magazine he had been reading. It was an old issue, but it featured some interesting invention prototypes that Prime Inc., a rival corporation, had been working on. By this time, the technology might have been slightly outdated – a lot could change within a year – but Trunks had a few new ideas he could propose to the council to outdo his competitors.

"Come on, Trunks, aren't you going to celebrate? Be happy! Let's party!" Pan bounced over to him and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, purposely trying to distract him away from his magazine.

"Pan, I've seen Earth. I have a lot of things I need to do before I get back. Like, for one, review a lot of my proposals to the board." Trunks gently pushed her backward a bit so he could bring the magazine to reading level again. "After being gone for a year, they're going to expect me to present some groundbreaking ideas, and I've been slacking lately."

Pan grabbed the magazine from his hands and held it upside-down, frowning at the pages. After Trunks tried to grab it back from her, she twisted away and stood up, holding the magazine close to her face. Blinking, she turned it right-side up, frowned, then turned it upside-down again.

Pan's eyebrows knotted, "This doesn't make any sense to me, no matter how I read it. How can you _understand_ this stuff?"

Trunks reached for the magazine again, but dropped his hand when Pan thrust it away. Looking up with an eyebrow raised, he mused, "Maybe if you study for your _university entry exams_, you might be able to read a bit of it, too."

Pan scoffed and dropped the magazine back onto Trunks' lap. "You already know what I have to say about that."

Trunks smiled and re-opened his magazine, "I know, I know."

The door to the room creaked open, causing Pan to blink at the intruder. "Hey guys!" Goku entered the room, stretching and rolling his shoulders a bit. "Did you see the Earth, Pan? You should come to the observation deck. It's really pretty."

"I know!" Pan squealed and ran to hug her grandfather. "I can't believe it! We're home! We're home!" She began hopping in circles, chanting 'We're home' while skipping with Goku, who appeared slightly confused.

Trunks chuckled and looked up from the article to glance at Goku, grinning, "That's all she's been saying for the past half hour."

"Yeah! It's so hard to imagine. Finally, we're back. I wonder how everyone is doing? I can't wait to see Chi Chi again!" Goku hopped along with Pan, going in circles behind Trunks' chair, laughing and singing.

The musical laughter and hopping went on for a good few minutes, with both Goku and Pan exclaiming their joy at being home and not being able to wait to see people. After the chanting became monotonous and just plain annoying, Trunks felt a vein throb in his temple and grimaced, turning around in his chair to bark at them, "Could you two _please_ take your dancing to another room?! I _really_ need to work here!"

Both of them stopped and blushed slightly. Goku grinned in slight embarrassment, "Oh okay, Trunks! We'll be quiet." The boy turned to Pan and his eyes lit up with an idea. "I know, Pan! Let's bake a cake to celebrate! Maybe two cakes! Or three! That sounds good."

"_No_ cake." Trunks picked up a highlighter and bit the top off while he marked an important line in the text. "If yoo deshtroy the kitch'n now…" Trunks took the cap from his mouth and placed it back on the highlighter, "You're never going to hear the end of it from me. Got it, Goku?"

"But Pan will be–!"

"I said '_no_'." Trunks turned in his chair to face them. "Besides, we don't have time for that, anyway. We're going to reach Earth within twenty minutes." He pointed a finger accusingly at them, "If anything, I'd suggest you all start packing the rest of your things, because I _don't_ want to be held over any longer than we need to be."

Goku walked up and sat in his chair to the right of Trunks, dangling his legs. "So where are we gonna go first?"

"Well isn't it obvious?" Trunks looked up with a glint, smiling. "I think the dragonballs should be returned to where they came from: Dende's Lookout. Don't you agree?"

"Oh, sure, yeah… Yeah, if you say so…"

Trunks raised an eyebrow, "Where else did you think we'd go?"

Goku looked out the window at the planet, "Well… there is this really great place. They have these amazing hot dogs and I've been craving them for so long, I don't know if I can stand _waiting_ anymore! Could we _please_… _please please please_ stop and eat at Hammy's?"

Trunks hung his head down and sighed. "Goku… Honestly, is that _all _you can think about?"

"Pleeease?"

"No."

"Oh _pretty please_ with a cherry on top?"

"We'll go after we deliver the balls."

"Oh _PLEAAAASE!!!!"_

Trunks groaned and covered his ears. "Aaahhh! Okay! _OKAY!_ Just stop _whining_, Goku! We'll stop and eat at Hammy's _before_ delivering the dragonballs, _okay?_ Would that make you _happy?!_"

Pan laughed and sat in her seat, watching Trunks suffer in his chair. "That's so sweet of you, Trunks." She grinned, "For once, you're actually listening to Grandpa."

"Yeah, yeah…" Trunks folded the magazine on his lap and leaned forward to open a drawer in front of his chair.

"Ooohhh!!! I can't _wait!_" Goku rubbed his hands together with a grin plastered on his face. He smiled as he watched Trunks sort through some papers in the drawer and come across something near the bottom.

Trunks pulled out a case with a sigh and opened it, looking inside.

"What's that?" Pan leaned over to see what Trunks had in his hands.

"Something I'm going to need to wear if I go out in public." Trunks held up his dark rimmed glasses and donned them with a small smirk.

"Oh _no!_ Not _those!_" Pan tried to grab them from his face, but he turned his head around, smiling. "You look _awful_ in those. I thought you got rid of them."

"I look awful, huh?" Trunks chuckled, "Thanks for the compliment."

Pan frowned, "Why do you always insist on wearing them? We _both_ know that they aren't exactly the trendiest glasses." She leaned back in her chair, pondering aloud, "Why not wear glasses with thin rims, or no rims, or… I don't know. Something a little more fashion appealing?"

Trunks looked at her oddly, "Since when do _you_ care about fashion?"

Pan rolled her eyes with disgust. "I don't. But you look terrible. Why do you _always_ try to cover up your good looks?"

"Huh?" Trunks' eyebrows went up a bit as he peered quizzically at her through his glasses. "My good looks?"

Goku chuckled in his seat. "Oh you two are just so cute together!"

Trunks whipped his head around and glared at the boy, "What did I say about those kinds of comments, Goku?"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Goku raised his hands apologetically and slid out of his seat. "I'll go pack now." He winked and began to walk out of the room, "You two lovebirds can have your privacy."

After watching Goku leave, Trunks sighed and threw the magazine onto the dashboard. Removing his glasses, he lowered them and cleaned the glass with the edge of his shirt. He looked over to Pan while shaking his head, "You know what's funny, Pan?"

Pan tore her vision away from the planet in front of them and looked at him, "What?"

"An entire year has come and gone. We've experienced so many things, learned so many lessons, had so much time to ponder our lives and where we want to take them…" He placed the frames on his nose again, and pushed them toward his eyes. "And I'd like to say we all grew in a way, changing slightly for the better. That is," he frowned, "except Goku." He shook his head, "That boy will never ever change."

Pan smiled, "Yeah, I love my Grandpa…"

"A trip around the entire galaxy, for so long… and yet we're back to square one. The minute we left Earth, he was complaining about food, and now we're coming home and the only real thing on his mind is Hammy's, wherever that is." Trunks chuckled, "I just can't believe it. I just _can't believe_ someone could be like that."

"Well, you know _Grandpa_…"

"Not even the _day_ we happened to leave this planet… Goku had been pressing us on each other. Can you believe that? And he actually quit for some time, and now he's back to doing it again." Trunks chortled cautiously, "It's like we've… gone in a complete circle, about to repeat everything all over again!"

Pan adjusted her bandana on her head, "What do you mean?"

"Wouldn't it be funny…?" Trunks played with the rims of his glasses, looking out toward the Earth while smirking hesitantly. "Wouldn't it be funny if… someone made another wish on those dragonballs and we… were sent out to space again?"

Pan frowned, "No?"

Trunks laughed nervously, "Heheheh… Well… It would be… ironic, don't you think? I think it'd be… funny…. Heh…"

Trunks suddenly stopped smiling and looked down at his hands, taking a breath.

Pan leaned forward, "Trunks, are you okay?"

Trunks looked to the side, breathing deeply, and brought his hand to his collar, trying to loosen it a bit for some air. "I'm fine…" Taking another deep breath, he hesitantly smiled toward Pan, but felt the smile fade as a sick feeling threatened to come over him.

He swallowed and leaned back, trying to relax. "Pan…" he paused, taking a breath, "Remember when you asked me if I ever got a bad feeling about things, and then you said… you had a bad feeling… coming home, I mean?"

"Yeah…?"

Trunks felt his forehead and tried to focus his thoughts, "I think…" He frowned slightly, and closed his eyes. "I think I'm getting one of those bad feelings."

----------

After parking the ship in a glade, Trunks, Pan and Goku managed to keep their kis hidden as they exited the woods and came to a clearing in a park. It was bright mid-day, and several children were playing Frisbee with their pets.

Dusting any remnants of the branches and dirt away from him, Trunks turned to Goku, "Where is this place again?"

"It's in this park." Goku clapped happily, "And they make the best hamburgers and hot dogs ever! I haven't eaten here in so long!"

They walked for a long time through the grassy fields, passing by a great number of children and young adults enjoying their free time lying in the sun.

As they walked in the general direction of Goku's navigation through the park, Pan sighed, "Where is this place? How long is it going to take us to get there? I don't get why we can't just fly there." She turned to Trunks, "And why are we keeping our kis hidden, again?"

"Don't worry. It can't be that much farther. And, I don't want anyone knowing we're back yet." Trunks smirked, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

She pouted, "But it _would_ be a surprise. Once everyone would sense us, it'll surprise everyone into coming to see us, and then we'll have a big reunion party right here in the park…"

"There it is!" Goku pointed to a small hot dog stand with several white picnic tables surrounding it, shaded by green umbrellas. Several couples occupied the area around the stand, but nothing glamorous stood out about the place.

"What?" Trunks looked perplexed, "You made us stall giving the dragonballs back to Dende so we could eat at a _shack?!_" He brought his head to his hands, shaking his head miserably, "Goku… You are even _beyond_ a lost cause…"

Goku chirped a happy, "Thank you!" before bounding away toward the hot dog stand, leaving Trunks and Pan to walk slowly and remorsefully toward his direction.

As they were nearing the stand, Pan tugged on Trunks' sleeve, and gestured for him to lean down to hear something. When he did, she whispered, with a worried glance at the people in the park, "Do you notice anything strange about the people here?"

"Huh?" Trunks blinked and looked around to the children playing Frisbee and flying kites, running around in play. "What is wrong?"

Pan bit her lip, frowning, and gestured for Trunks to lean over again. She hesitantly whispered, "Nobody…" she paused to look at the couples at the picnic tables again, "Nobody is smiling."

"Huh?!" Trunks looked at the children again, hearing laughter and conversation. "What are you talking about?" On a second glance, however, he saw exactly what she was talking about. Everyone had a strange expression on their face, as if they were sneering or insulting each other as they snickered on the field.

Pan tugged on his sleeve again, "Don't you think it's a little weird?"

"I… I don't know…?" Trunks adjusted his glasses for a moment and shrugged. He looked at her with a touch of concern on his face, "Maybe that's just how people are like around here?"

"Hey you guys!" Goku returned to them bearing three hot dogs in each hand. "I got you guystwo each, just in case you are hungry."

Pan made a face and stuck out her tongue. "No thanks, Grandpa, but thanks anyway."

Goku turned to Trunks, "How about you?"

Trunks frowned and clutched his stomach, aware that the sick queasy sensation he had been experiencing for some time was still very much present. With the feeling that some ominous threat were lurking on the horizon, he had lost his appetite. He shook his head politely, "No thank you."

"Wow, you two are sure missing out!" Goku then began to stuff his face with entire hot dogs at a time.

As Goku was eating, Pan prodded Trunks and whispered, "They're looking at us!"

"Who?" Trunks looked up and saw that everyone at the picnic tables were making casual glances over to them, and the children were stealing quick looks as if trying not to be suspicious.

Pan was right. Something was definitely wrong here.

Trunks cleared his throat scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, Goku? I think we should head out now." This park was making him feel more uncomfortable every second.

Goku frowned while chewing, "Bup I wamted to get shecondsh!"

"We can…" Trunks swallowed, feeling the intensity of the park rising more and more, "We can come back later, Goku. Really. Let's just go…"

Pan's backpack started to suddenly vibrate, "-grrhh grrhh!-"

Pan reached over to unhook her backpack, but Trunks stopped her with a serious face, "Don't bring him out." He glanced over to Goku, "He will attract too much attention."

Goku swallowed and blinked, "What's going on?"

Something heavy began to fall on the park. A cloud covered the sun for a brief moment, and when it cleared, Trunks noticed that _everyone_ had their eyes on them. And they weren't looking away.

Trunks tried to act casual, even though something was tearing him up inside, "Let's walk. _Now._"

Pan's backpack began to rumble, "Dnghh! Dnghh!"

Trunks coughed and faked a smile through gritted teeth, "Act casual."

Pan looked down and said in a low voice, "This is really creepy…"

Goku frowned, knotting his brow. He repeated, "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Trunks tried to avoid looking at the people in the park as they made their way across the grass, "But something is not right." He took a deep breath, feeling sweat appear on his forehead, "Don't look back, Goku, but they are following us."

They quickened their pace across the grass, and felt everyone else quicken theirs as well.

Trunks glanced behind him and felt his heart racing. "Okay, screw the surprise on the planet. Let's just get out of here!"

"Okay guys, then hold on!" Goku grabbed Trunks and Pan and in a blur of speed that neither had experienced in some time, they found the world fly by faster than the eye could see, and they then found themselves in front of the ship.

Trunks blinked and looked around. "Wow, that was _fast!_"

Goku stretched a bit and smiled, "It's nice to be out of a cramped ship. I need to start running more." Goku smiled, "Would either of you two care to work out or spar with me tonight?"

Trunks took Pan's backpack and unpacked the remote, setting Giru free in the process. Clicking it, he turned to Goku with a stoic face. "First, let's drop off the dragonballs; next, we'll figure out what's going on here, and _then_ I'll think of sparring with you. How does that sound?"

"Like fun!" Goku clapped and smiled before climbing the ladder to the ship.

Trunks looked to Pan with a concerned expression.

They didn't even need words to express what each was feeling. What happened back there was odd and very uncharacteristic of a park with joyous people and innocent children. Everyone was acting strange, and nobody was smiling. Laughs were snickers, smiles were scowls… Everyone had a sort of distorted grin…

It triggered something in Trunks' memory, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. The source of it… What it reminded him of.

It was on the edge of his tongue…. In the corner of his mind…

Trunks shook his head. He'd worry about that later. First, they had to deliver the dragonballs. Then, he'd ask his family what had happened to the park, to see if they had any idea what was going on.

He couldn't help but think that this was a very odd welcome home…

----------

----------

-_11/28/04_-


	29. Dragonballs Returned

CHAPTER 29:  
Dragonballs Returned

They landed on the edge of the lookout. The sky was clear, the air was cool, and far below, great altostratus clouds were producing snow upon the world. A slight breeze whispered their arrival on the floating island in the sky. When the hatch to the ship opened and each of the three climbed down the ladder, they found Dende and Mr. Popo waiting patiently to greet them.

When Goku landed on the white tile, he turned around and cheered a happy "Dende!" before running over and grinning. "It's so nice to be back here after a year."

Dende nodded with a smile. "Did you find all the dragonballs?"

Pan strutted forward, carrying a brown bag filled with the legendary balls. "We sure did! And it was all thanks to me. I did _all_ the work to get these! The rest of the time, I was trying to get them out of situations." She handed the bag to Dende with a slight smirk, looking over to Trunks. "Right, Trunks? Didn't _I_ do all the work?"

He raised one brow, not really wanting to break into a fight with her at this time, even though she was challenging him. If she wanted all the credit, then he would let her think she had all the credit. Any knowledgeable person would know that Goku and he had to do all the work. He supposed her love for the spotlight was inherited from her other grandfather.

Trunks nodded a bit, and looked to Dende, smirking a bit,"Uh… yeah, that's right, Pan."

Mr. Popo took the balls from Dende and looked at the bag. In his musical voice he said, "I'm so relieved! I was so _worried _about the safety of the Earth, but I knew we could count on you, Goku!"

"Yes," Dende nodded, "The Earth is safe now."

Pan frowned and crossed her arms, "Didn't you hear me? I said _I_ was the one who got all the balls."

Trunks leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, Pan. I'll tell everyone you were a big help on the trip, I promise." He grinned, "You'll get your credit."

She smiled toward Trunks and nodded.

Goku continued his conversation with Dende, unaware of the others' whispering. "I trust the dragonballs will be safe with you. I hope this time around, they can be stored in a safe place."

Dende nodded and glanced toward Mr. Popo, "Yes. The dragonballs will be dealt with… immediately." He smirked slightly, which was a bit unusual for him, "They will be put to good use."

"Yes," Mr. Popo nodded, glancing at Dende with a slight smile, "They will." He held up the bag and studied its contents for a minute. "I'll go take these inside, then."

As Mr. Popo walked away, Dende began to follow him. Pan blinked and felt a little strange about their encounter with the guardians of Earth. Something just seemed a bit off-beat. Perhaps they weren't acting friendly enough, or they had acted a bit too formal… but the feeling in the air was awkward and uncomfortable. Looking to Trunks, she saw that he sensed it, too, but he was trying his best to hide it. Over the year she had spent in space with him, she had learned to read when he was feeling slightly edgy, and this was definitely one of those times.

Goku looked around with a wide grin. After a few glances around the lookout, he called out to the guardian of Earth, "Hey Dende, where's Piccolo?"

Dende spun around and clenched his fists. For a moment, his eyes were wild as if he were angered by something, but then they became blank and glazed over as he politely tilted his head to one side, as he said cooly, "He's not with us." Dende turned and walked through the doors that lead inside the lookout, leaving the three saiyans by their ship.

Goku smiled, "Well, then, if he's off somewhere, I'll be sure to find him and tell him that his dragonballs are safe. He might be glad to know that."

Trunks nodded, "Yeah…" He looked toward Pan and watched her absently as he thought of people he would like to see as well, now that he was home.

A few moments of silence passed between them.

After some time, Goku coughed and looked to Pan, "So… Pan… Are you all packed up and ready to go?"

"Yeah… Everything is in my capsule box…"

"Cool, okay… Well, I'm going to go back inside and grab our things." He paused, looking between them, "I'll be right back." Goku then climbed up the ladder, leaving Pan and Trunks to stand alone outside in the cool breeze.

Another moment of silence passed between the two, as they really didn't know what to say.

Pan broke the calm by clearing her throat and walking up to Trunks. She reached up and removed his glasses, and then proceeded to study them. After a few seconds, she handed them back to Trunks and smiled slightly, "You look better without them."

Trunks nodded and put the glasses in his pocket, "Then I won't wear them when I'm around you. Does that sound fair?"

Pan just smiled in return, but her grin faded when her backpack started vibrating. "What the…?" She removed her backpack and opened the flap, realizing that Giru had been stuck in her pack for the entire conversation. "Oh Giru! Giru!! Haha, you haven't seen the lookout, have you? This is where Dende, the Guardian of Earth lives, with Mr. Popo and Mr. Piccolo! How do you like this place?"

Giru did a flip, "-giru giru-!"

Trunks put his hands into his pockets and looked around the lookout again. "When was the last time you were here, Pan?"

"I don't even remember. I was really young, I know that. Papa took me here to visit Grandpa once, when he was training downstairs. How about you?"

"It's been a long time for me as well. I'd have to say the last time I was here… was when Bra was born."

"Really? That long ago?"

Trunks nodded, "I haven't had much reason to return. I'm not really that close with Piccolo, and I barely know Dende and Mr. Popo."

Giru did another little flip at the sound of their names, "-giru giru-! Danger! Danger!"

"Huh?!" Caught by surprise of Giru's announcement, Trunks spun around, scanning the horizon for any unwarranted enemy. "Where is the danger?!" He saw Pan tense and frown, also scanning the distances.

"Dende and Popo! -giru giru- Danger!"

Hearing this, Trunks visibly relaxed and let out a relieved smile. "Dende and Mr. Popo, eh?" He chuckled slightly and patted the robot on its head, "Don't worry, Giru, they are just friends."

"Yeah, Giru," Pan poked the robot in the side, "You can't go flipping out over every new person we meet." She giggled a bit under her breath, and looked to Trunks. A thought occurred to her, and she grew serious before looking to Giru again. "Hey Trunks?"

"Yeah?" Trunks was petting the robot and looked up.

"So… I take it that Giru will be going home with you, right…? I mean… since he is the dragon radar and all…"

He laughed, "Why? Did you want him?"

She shifted on her feet, looking down, "Well… I don't know… I mean, I'd like to see Giru every once in a while. Maybe he can stay with me sometimes? I'd really like to show him to my family…"

"-giru giru-! Giru like Pan!"

Pan looked toward the robot, beaming in pride, "You do?! Aww!" With a wide glinting smile, she hugged the robot close to her and said happily aloud, "Pan like Giru, too!"

Releasing the robot, Pan reached up behind her head and untied her bandana. She held it in front of her for a few moments, as if contemplating her next act, and then proceeded to tie her bandana around Giru's body, as if he were wearing a little cape. "There you go," she beamed, "That bandana is for you."

Trunks raised his eyebrows a bit, "Pan, are you sure? I mean," he gestured towards her, "You wear that bandana all the time. I thought it was a keepsake?"

Pan smiled, "It is." She looked up toward the ship and put her hands back in her pocket, "It is actually a portion of Grandpa's gi from when he fought Vegeta – I mean, your dad – back when my papa was little."

Trunks grinned, "I didn't know that."

Pan laughed, "Apparently he should have been glad to have had any clothes on at _all_, after that fight. Your dad really left him in rags."

Trunks' smile widened as he looked down at her. He always looked up to his father, viewing him as his hero ever since he was little. When he heard stories of how great his father used to be back in his youth, he couldn't help but feel a burst of pride for being his son.

His eyes wandered to the bandana which Giru was sporting around his shell, and then focused on the robot itself. "You know, Pan, I'm going to talk to my mom about Giru. If you like, I can let him come over and visit often, but I just get a feeling that my family may want to keep custody of the dragon radar, for security reasons." Trunks smiled, "And especially now that we know that Emperor Pilaf is still after the dragonballs. I'm sure he hasn't given up his search after his failing wish last year."

Pan looked down as her cheeks tinted slightly, "When Giru comes over… would you be visiting too?"

Trunks took a step toward her and put his right arm on her shoulder. "Would you like me to?"

Pan leaned into him and gave him a tight hug, "Yes! Yes, all the time!"

Trunks chuckled and lightly brought his hands across her back. "How about this?" He leaned his chin on her head and closed his eyes, "This Friday, when you come over – I hope you come over – to spar with my dad, would you like to go somewhere afterward? How about a movie?" He opened his eyes with a grin, "I'm sure we're a year behind on good films."

Pan laughed into him, "Yeah, especially if you compare them to films like 'The Great Saiyaman'." Patting his back lightly, she smiled, "I'd love to go to a movie with you. I've never been to a movie with a guy before."

"Huh? Never?!" Trunks pulled away and gaped slightly at her.

"Yeah, the one movie I tried to go to… That date didn't really work out." Pan looked away blushing and smiling. Looking down for a moment, she finally brought her eyes to look at his and winked, "So…does this mean I'd get a kiss at the end of the night?"

Trunks laughed heartily and ruffled her hair, "You're so funny, Pan-chan."

Pan stepped back, blushing more deeply, and brushed her hair back with her fingers. The sound of weight hitting the lookout tile brought both their attentions back to the ship. Goku stood with several boxes of dyno-cap containers under his arm and two bags thrown over his shoulder.

Goku grinned and donned a pair of sunglasses. "Okay Pan, we can leave now. I think I got everything."

Trunks nodded, "Yeah, if you forgot something, I'll be sure to return it to you two later on."

"Did you two say your goodbyes?" Goku grinned devilishly.

"It's not really goodbye, Grandpa!" Pan smiled, "I'm going to go with him to a movie on Friday night!"

"Oooh really?!" Goku beamed happily, "A movie?! Oh I can't wait to go! What movie will we be seeing?"

Pan growled and felt her temple throb. "You baka!! He's going with _me!_ And how am _I_ supposed to know what movie we're going to see? It's not like I've had the chance to check the _local listing!_"

Trunks flushed a bit and put his hands in his pocket, swaying a bit, "Well, I mean… if he really wants to come _too_… I mean, it's not like it's a da–"

Goku clapped his hands and laughed happily, interrupting Trunks, "Oooh! I can't _wait _to go! Wow! And I'm going to invite Chi Chi and Gohan and Goten and … and Piccolo and Bulma and Bra and Vegeta, and maybe even Krillin and…and…"

Pan gave an exasperated sigh and hung her head in her hands. Trunks chuckled and nudged her in her side, leaning over to whisper, "Don't worry, we can go somewhere else after the movie if you like."

Pan chuckled and nodded to Trunks.

"…and Eighteen and Marron and Yamucha and Tien…"

Pan looked over to Goku. "Grandpa?"

"…and Chaotzu and Master Roshi and Turtle and … and…"

"Grandpa!!"

"Oooh! And how about Launch?" He turned to Pan distractedly, "Yeah, Pan?" His eyes glazed as he thought of all of his friends, "Wow, it can be a _reunion_ at the movie theater!"

"Grandpa, when are we leaving?"

Goku snapped out of it and blinked. "Why, right now! I have to tell Chi Chi about our plans for Friday, and she's going to want to get started right away!" He nodded to Trunks and smiled, "It was a great trip. I hope we can go on a journey again, sometime."

Pan smiled and stepped forward to embrace him, "I'll see you later!"

"Bye." Trunks gave her a kiss on the cheek and stepped back to wave.

He watched Goku and Pan take off to the sky in the direction of their homes. He smiled to himself when he realized it was over. Everything they had worked so hard for had paid off, and he was finally going home.

He turned to Giru and adjusted the robot's new cape to fit more evenly across his body. "Well, Giru, it looks like it's just us now."

"-giru giru-! -giru giru-!"

He smiled, "I can't wait to introduce you to my family."

He walked over to the ladder and climbed it slowly. When he reached the top, he realized that it was strange to hear the ship so silent. Without the engine running, or his company conversing, it seemed like a forgotten memory already. It just seemed a little weird walking about in an empty ship, as if ghosts of the past somehow haunted the rooms.

Then again, the strange sensation he was experiencing might also have been part of the sickness he'd been feeling ever since they'd entered the solar system. As they were approaching Earth, it felt as if it were getting stronger. At first, he had thought it to be a cold, which was highly probable since Goku was contagious for a week. But later, he had grown to feel as if it were some premonition. After seeing the people in the park, it only confirmed his suspicions. He was going to have to have a talk with his father tonight. Somehow, he always knew what was going on. He'd know what to say.

Starting the engines, the ship gave a jerk and then revved to life. Giru bleeped happily beside him, "Trunks save the world! Trunks hero of the world!"

Trunks blushed shyly and chuckled at the robot. "You'll be meeting a lot more heros soon, Giru. Just you wait."

----------

----------

-_11/29/04_-


	30. One Down

Disclaimer: I don't own a great portion of this dialogue. That belongs to Funimation, who translated all the Japanese. All the rest, the thoughts, the fillers, the motives… those are all mine.

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CHAPTER 30:  
One Down

After docking the ship in the launching bay, Trunks jumped from the ship, not even bothering with the ladder, he was so excited to be home. Landing on the metal flooring, he stood and looked around in wonder. Hearing Giru come down behind him, he turned around and blinked at the robot, cocking his head to the side as he looked around again, half expecting a surprise party to jump out from behind the machinery, and being slightly disappointed that nobody was there to welcome him.

"Well, I wonder where the big homecoming is celebrating our return?" Trunks smirked a bit and shook his head in mild confusion. "I can understand my father not being able to make it, but I figured at least mom and Bra would come say hi." He looked to the robot and his head gestured to the stairs that would lead him to one of the lobbies of Capsule Corp. "Come on, Giru! Let's go find my family."

Giru chirped happily, "-giru…giru…giru-!" But as his bleeping continued, it began to raise in pitch, as if the robot were sensing something intense within the perimeter. "-giru giru giru- -danger danger-! Danger DANGER!" The robot began to tremble and wave its limbs frantically was Trunks tried to grab him and silence him, "Danger danger DANGER!"

"What's wrong with you Giru?!" Trunks frowned and grabbed Giru, inspecting him closely, "This is a really safe place." He turned the robot upside down and looked Giru in the lens. "Don't tell me your danger sensor is broken again?" Suddenly, a thought came to Trunks, and he released Giru with a smile as he realized Giru must be sensing an incredibly high power level, but misinterpreting it, "Ahhh, I get it! This is your first time meeting my father!" He chuckled at Giru for being so silly and began walking toward the stairs.

Trunks' ease did not qualm the robot, however. Giru was becoming more frantic than ever, waving in front of Trunks, desperately trying to get him to stop. "Danger! Danger! Trunks in danger!"

Trunks halted his steps and put his hands on his side, wondering whatever could have come over Giru. Even by sensing a high power level, there was no need for Giru to get so upset about meeting his family. That is, unless his father and mother were in the middle of one of their usual quarrels. Perhaps Giru was sensing his father's anger or something along those lines. A fight would probably explain why his mother wasn't out to greet him upon arrival.

Trunks chuckled, mostly to himself, realizing Giru was more terrified over the wrong person. "You are right, Giru, my dad _can_ be kind of intimidating, but you really shouldn't worry about it." He grinned, "My mom can be even _more_ dangerous, but _I_ didn't tell you that."

"Danger… danger danger danger!!!!"

He frowned at the robot. Everything and everyone was acting a little strange ever since they returned to Earth. Even Giru was malfunctioning because of something. He wondered if Pan and Goku may have found out any information about what was going on. He'd be sure to ask his father later.

"You're late."

Trunks looked away from Giru, toward the top of the stairs. His father was leaning on the railing, looking serious and stoic. Trunks saw him and a wave of joy passed over him, finally seeing his father again. He had missed him so much while he was away. It was good to see that he was healthy and acting the same.

He smiled as he ascended the stairs, "Hey Dad! How have you been?"

His father just looked at him with a nonchalant stare. He didn't even care to huff a response. He gave off a vibe as if he were angry with Trunks for some reason, but that would be impossible. Trunks figured he was upset because they had returned so late. It was only two days to go before the world would have exploded. He smiled sheepishly and scratched his head as he continued to climb the stairs, "Things took longer than we expected, but the dragonballs have been–"

"–sealed up and hidden in Kami's Lookout, I hear."

Trunks stopped in mid-step and stared at his father. There was no way that he could have known that. Not unless Goku or Pan stopped by Capsule Corp. on the way back to their homes… but why would they do that? Something just didn't seem right. "Yeah… that's right." He glanced over to Giru and began to wonder if something really _was_ dangerous around here. "Dende took good care of them…"

There was a large pause that settled in the launching bay. Trunks was trying to make out how his father knew about the dragonballs already while Vegeta just stared at him.

Vegeta broke the silence with a nonchalant, "Ah okay, then come in." He turned and walked through the door leading to the lobby.

Trunks figured that his father had sensed Goku having returned when they were at the park. His father was intelligent. He most likely had figured out they'd deliver the balls to Dende first thing. After reaching this conclusion, Trunks sighed in relief. That probably explained his father's comment before. Trunks smiled over to Giru. The robot was really keeping him on edge today. He'd have to tinker with his danger sensors again.

----------

Trunks followed his father through the halls of Capsule Corp. and finally to the residential section, where his family lived. After walking through several halls, they finally reached the living room door. Entering, Trunks smiled and walked to the center of the large room, followed by Giru. It was really nice to be home. He had missed the house and his family so much.

A cool voice stated, "Welcome home, Trunks."

Hearing the familiar tone, Trunks whisked around to see his mother enter from the recreation room and walk toward the kitchen. "Mother!" Beaming with happiness, Trunks approached her with his arms outstretched as if expecting a hug.

She stopped him with a hand to his chest, and pushed him back with a sneer. Trunks stumbled backward with a confused frown. He couldn't understand why his mother just rejected him. He had been gone away for so long, he could have sworn she would have been at least slightly happy to see him.

She gave him a cold glare and licked her lips before baring her teeth. "You know, Trunks, you've been _bad boy_ recently."

"Huh?" Trunks looked to her and to his father, with his arms loosely extended outward from his body, as if he had just been pushed backward.

Giru sprung to life, trembling slightly as if something were activating his danger sensors again. "-giru giru-?"

Bulma narrowed her eyes toward her son and gave a low menacing growl. "I'll let your _father_ deal with your _punishment._"

Trunks scratched his head, not really understanding what she was talking about. Sure, he arrived later than the date they had anticipated their return, but this was no cause for a punishment. This just didn't make sense. Something wasn't adding up here. "What's going on here?" He looked toward his father again and shook his head in slight confusion, "I just got home and you guys are mad at me?"

Vegeta scowled and then gave a distorted grin while glaring at Trunks. "Hehehehe… It's been a long time, eh son?" He began to move closer to him, closing the distance between them.

"Danger! Danger! DANGER!" Giru hid behind Trunks and was trembling furiously.

Trunks frowned and fought the urge to step backward. He was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. His parents were acting strangely, the world was acting strangely, and Giru's danger sensors were going off the chart. Trunks looked to Giru and whispered, "Stop flipping out. You're just going to get my dad upset." The robot shut off and continued to shiver in silence, grasping Trunks' shoulder as if the world were about to end.

The way Vegeta was approaching Trunks was slightly intimidating. Trunks found his words caught in his throat as his father came within inches of him and pressed his face forward, causing Trunks to blink and lean back awkwardly.

Vegeta sneered, "Yes, the last time was on the planet Vidal…" Suddenly, Vegeta's hair turned silver as his eyes narrowed with a scowl, "Right, _Saiyan?!_"

Trunks' eyes widened and he took a sharp intake of breath. The ki that his father was emitting… something was different. Something was making his hair turn silver instead of gold. What was going on…?

His breath caught in his throat as he suddenly realized what was happening. He found himself struggling to make out words, "Y-You-You're not…" His eyes got even wider as he took a step back but tripped, landing on the ground, trying to back away in a panic, "Who are you?!"

Vegeta stood over him in a triumphant stance. His face altered as his skin began to form lines that ran across his forehead and chin. He began to laugh high and shrilly, leaning his head back to cackle with glee. He brought his face back to make another distorted grin. "I'm NOT your _father_."

A large explosion suddenly erupted on Vegeta's face. It wasn't large, but when the smoke cleared and Vegeta checked to see if any papercuts were caused by the menace, he turned to glare insanely toward the robot. Giru has just fired two missiles at him, and was screaming of danger the loudest his circuits could amplify it.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and growled, "You're T20-06, aren't you? Stop acting like a _fool,_ you rusty piece of _trash!!!_"

"-giru giru-!"

Trunks turned his head to see Giru and felt his heart pound against his chest in panic. He had just attacked his father, or whoever the impostor was. His eyes widened as he realized what would happen to the robot. "Oh my Gosh… Oh my Gosh!!! Giru, get out of here! _Get out of here!!! _It's not my dad!"

Instead of budging, the robot readied two more missles to fire. Trunks' breath caught in his throat as his heart was leaping through his chest. It was a mistake to install that weaponry inside Giru. A wave of fear swept over him as he realized what was in store for the robot if Giru were to stay any longer. "Giru, please! Go find Goku! _NOW!!!_" The wave of fear suddenly turned into something else… a suffocating pain that began to tear through his body.

Trunks opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He tried to breathe, but he couldn't find the breaths. He lost his elbow support, and crashed fully to the ground, feeling dizzy and sick. Panting, he tried to relax, to calm down. He tried thinking of things he loved, of friends he cared for… of Goten and Pan, of… of his mother, when she… His mind began to get cloudy. He wasn't sure what he was trying to think anymore. He clutched his stomach and squeezed his eyes, trying to focus himself. Opening his eyes and looking up, he watched helplessly as his father advanced on Giru, looking possessed and wild.

Vegeta sneered, "No thanks to you, simple 'bot, my plans were postponed…" He snickered and looked to Trunks, who was writhing on the floor, "but due to your betrayal, you've led me straight to the remaining Saiyan trash on my list!"

He smirked and focused his power. With all his might, he thrust a great wave of ki toward Giru, blasting the wailing robot into a thousand pieces. As the parts fell, shreds of Pan's bandana fell with them, landing on the floor in a pile of rubble.

Trunks felt a shock of grief pass over him as his eyes widened. "Giru?!" The reality set in, as Trunks realized Giru was dead. His father had just killed Giru! "GIRU! GIRU!!!!" He outstretched his hand, trying to crawl on the ground toward the parts. "Giru… Gi… Gi…" He felt a sob come from his chest and tears form in his eyes. "Giru…"

Vegeta took several casual steps toward his grieving son and crossed his arms smugly, smirking with fire in his eyes. He cackled shrilly, "Hehehehe!" Crinkling his nose as if there were a stench in the air, he grinned manically. "Get ready, my son, we shall call this day your new birthday, because you'll never be the same again!"

Doing everything he could to hold back sobs, Trunks turned his head to watch his father, too weak to stand. He was panting heavily, feeling light-headed and dizzy. "Dad… Dad, what has come over you?!"

"Hehehehe!! Have you forgotten _already?_" He leaned over to bare his teeth at Trunks, "I've entered your body once before, and I'll do it again!!!"

Any breath that Trunks had been struggling to inhale suddenly completely caught in his throat. Trunks began to choke as his eyes went wide in terror. There was no way! How could this be?! _HOW?! HOW?!?!?!?!_ "No!!!" He choked, "NO!" He tried to back away, but his muscles felt like rubber and any movement sent searing pain through his body. He suddenly felt so cold as he remembered what happened back on Vidal, and how he had been acting strangely ever since, going into those mood swings. It was all because of Baby. _BABY!_ The one that snickered and sneered and grimaced like all those people in the park. Baby somehow had come to Earth… and he took over his father!

Trunks felt a full sob coming forth as he thought of all those people, under Baby's control. He felt his own body shudder as if icicles were piercing him from the inside out. "No… NO!!!!" He clutched his stomach and fell to the floor again, panting hard.

Vegeta-Baby snickered and smirked widely, "Ah, so I see you DO remember me." He leaned over to whisper to the demi-saiyan. "You never knew this, but in the short time I controlled your body, I managed to lay my egg inside of it." He watched as Trunks continued to struggle on the ground, trying to resist.

Baby cackled and stood up straight, watching Vegeta's son suffer on the floor. "You've given me trouble in the past, _son_. You'll find that _this _time, you won't be able to win the battle." Grinning coldly, he proceeded to kick Trunks in the side, causing him to scream out in pain. "Stop fighting it, you worthless trash. _I_ am your master now."

Bulma walked forward proudly, "Yes, that's right, Trunks. We live only to serve Lord Baby."

"No…" He writhed on the ground, gripping his throat, trying to breathe. He opened his eyes and saw the world spin and his vision get blurry. Trembling, trying to focus on his friends, on his life, of who he was and always would be, he made out Giru's parts on the ground. "No… Giru…" He tried to focus on memories, of the tour, of Goku… of Pan… Pan…

He tried to picture her face, but everything was fading. It was slipping, on the edge of his tongue, in a shadow of his mind… He felt his life retreating. "No…" Looking at the parts, he saw a shred of orange. What was that… It was… It was Pan's bandana… Pan… He reached out his arm to her bandana. He needed something… Something to ground him… something… anything…

He felt his life slipping away. He was losing a part of himself. His memories were fading. His vision was failing. His body… He couldn't move. His fingers couldn't grasp. He couldn't breathe. He… couldn't think…

Who… Who was he thinking of…? Who… Who was Pan again? Pan_…_ No. Not Pan.

Lord Baby.

His master… Lord Baby.

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-_12/1/04_-


	31. Two Down

CHAPTER 31:  
Two Down

Pan smiled as broadly as her mouth permitted as she shot like a bullet through the air, following her grandpa as they neared her family's house in the 394 mountain area. Laughing, she closed her eyes as the cool breeze whipped her hair behind her, thinking of how much she was looking forward to this upcoming Friday, wishing more than ever that today were a Thursday and she could train with Vegeta tomorrow and later see a movie with Trunks… and the _rest_ of the gang…

That last thought knotted her brow as her smile vanished. Her stupid, stupid grandpa had to go and volunteer himself and everyone else to go along with her. It's not like she needed chaperones!!! Her grandpa really found ways of getting to her sometimes.

Most of the time, though, she adored him. It might be fun seeing a movie with him. She had never been anywhere on Earth with her grandpa before. Well, not in her memory. She was so young when he left, she barely had any memories of going places with him. Most of her memories were of her papa's and her grandma's… and Trunks' and her Uncle Goten's and everyone else's memories of him. When they would tell her stories, she would picture it in her mind as if she were there. She would have loved to have been there, to actually see him do battle. _Real_ battle. As in, Saving-the-Earth kind of battle. She didn't know if she'd ever get the chance to see that, and she envied everyone's stories of the old days when training actually paid off.

It was still hard for her to look at her grandpa and imagine him as Earth's hero. She smiled, thinking of how lucky she was to get to know him for a year in space. Just him, her and Trunks. She wondered if she'd ever get any opportunity like that again. She really enjoyed her trip. She could feel a change in her, of a more optimistic outlook on life. For the first time, she had real friends. And, in her own way, she loved them very much. She loved her grandpa. And, she loved Trunks. He meant a great deal to her.

Trunks had truly become her best friend. Around him, she felt alive. She could be herself and not have to worry about what he would think because he had experienced it all – her good side, her bad side, and every other side she had possibly ever shown during the span of a year – and he still was sweet and kind to her. Things had really changed since she first knew him. Now, if anything were to ever go wrong, she knew she'd be able to run to him, and he'd help her feel better. It really made her feel so loved, to know she had a friend there who would always be there, as he promised. It was still a strange experience for her, to feel so accepted, so trusting.

Now all they would have to do is find out what was wrong with him, that was causing him to go insane when severely angered. Pan believed that there was a very high probability that Baby's effect on his body caused him to become somewhat schizophrenic. But, after they would find out what was causing his alter ego, things would run smoothly. She was glad they were finally home. All the answers to every problem lay here.

Speaking of problems… She still had a problem, and she needed to settle this once and for all. Clearing her mind, she watched her grandpa ahead of her, his gi flapping in the breeze. After a moment of thought, contemplating her next words, she finally worked up the courage to let him know what was on her mind.

"Grandpa!" Pan shouted over the wind, cupping her hands to her mouth, "Grandpa!"

"Yeah Pan?!" Goku slowed up slightly so his granddaughter could catch up to him.

Reaching his side, Pan smiled and gave a hug to Goku in mid-air, still flying forward. "I just wanted to tell you I love you, Grandpa."

Goku smiled and hugged her tight, speeding up his flight as he held her. She had never told that to him before, and it felt so wonderful to hear it from her – that she loved him for being him versus just being her grandfather. That year in space really helped her get to know him. It was something she had missed out on all her life, and it made him feel so special knowing that they could become such good friends. He closed his eyes and hugged her tighter. "I love you too, Pan."

Pan tensed in his grip and squirmed a little bit as if there was something else she had been meaning to say. "Yes, I know you do. I love you…" Goku could sense that she was taking time to think of the right wording.

Humored greatly, he laughed at her break in speech and smiled, "Pan, what are you trying to tell me?"

Pan shifted again and said, "I love you, Grandpa but… I _really_ don't want you to come with me and Trunks to the movie on Friday."

"Huh?" Goku frowned as he felt the slight tinges of rejection in her voice. "Why not?"

"It's just for him and me, got it? I would love to do something with you, Grandpa… just… not _that_." Pan broke free of his grasp and flew alongside him again, looking over to speak to him, "So _please_ don't invite everyone to come with us? Okay?"

"But I thought you would like…" Goku formed a pout as he tried to work out why she wouldn't want him to come along.

For an entire year, she did everything with him. All that time, it was always the three of them – Trunks, Pan, and himself. There was never a third wheel. Goku just couldn't understand why he wouldn't be included this time around, when he expressed he wanted to go. Pan was just being mean without realizing it. It hurt his feelings a great deal to know he wasn't wanted. But… why would she do that? Why would she say…?

Goku's eyes lit when he realized _exactly_ what was on Pan's mind. There _was_ something special between her and Trunks all along! And there Trunks was, telling him to stop teasing them. Now, he finally understood why they couldn't handle it anymore. Everything he kidded them about… it all came true right under his nose!

Goku covered his mouth and chuckled into his hands, turning his head away from Pan so she couldn't see. Pan saw this and knotted her brow, cocking her head slightly while observing him. "What's so funny?"

Goku turned his head to face her, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You like Trunks, _don't_ you?!!"

Pan faltered in the air and dropped a few meters as she almost lost control of her ki. Goku slowed down to wait for her, laughing at how she was taken by surprise by such a simple comment.

Pan glared and bared her teeth at her grandpa, "No I don't!"

Goku laughed and felt a teasing spell come over him. "It's okay to like him, Pan. I mean, he _is_ your _husband_ after all!" He began to laugh hard and couldn't even see Pan's enraged face turn purple from embarrassment.

"Don't you go and start telling people that! That wedding was a joke!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Goku grinned widely, "But you still like him."

"I like him as a _friend_, Grandpa." Pan huffed and looked ahead, avoiding his gaze. "He's my best friend. And, I want to be able to do things with my best friend _alone_. Got that?"

Goku frowned again, suddenly unsure of his theory. "But why not with me?"

"Because… you're…" Pan had a hard time finding the right wording to put to her emotions. Now that she thought about it, why _didn't_ she want her grandpa along? There was no real excuse to give him. Even by saying 'You're too old to come with us' would make no sense, since he was younger than her.

It wasn't that she liked Trunks in that way. Sure, he was cute, he had ways of being funny and unpredictable, and he could get her to smile by just being there. But she couldn't imagine ever dating him.

It wasn't that he was too old… But rather… he was a little too _mature_ for her. Sometimes, she got the feeling that he viewed her as a little girl, even though he insisted otherwise. Although she could act herself around him, it still made her self-conscious if she said something that would betray her age. She wanted so much to sound older, like him, but it was hard. And her grandpa wasn't a very good role model in that regard.

Goku repeated his question, noticing that Pan was lost in her thoughts, "Why can't I come along?"

"Because…" Pan tried to quickly wrack her brain for a reason… _any_ reason, no matter how stupid it may be, "Because… Because your _hair_ is too long!"

"My hair?" Goku pulled forward a lock of his hair, observing it in the breeze. "But it's _always_ been this long!"

"Yes, and _how often _have you been to the movie theaters?" Pan put her hands on her hips while flying.

Goku looked down in shame, blushing slightly as he saw her point.

It was sad. Goku was really looking forward to seeing his first real movie in the theaters. It never really crossed his mind to go to a cinema before, and he almost was excited… but if they required haircuts, he wasn't so sure if he wanted to go. He knew that movies had an effect on people, but never realized exactly _how much_ until right now.

Goku blinked as a thought came to him – something he had been pondering for some time after his youngest son became a teenager. "I get it, now, Pan. I finally understand why Goten cut his hair when he began to date people…" He looked up to the skies above him and smiled, as everything seemed to make sense. "I get it, now. It was all because of movie theaters."

----------

They landed softly on the grass outside of Pan's house. Whispering amongst themselves, they decided to surprise everyone, so they kept their kis masked as they snuck in through one of the open windows.

The smell of freshly cooked food – of garlics and meats – were intoxicating to Goku as they both crept up to the kitchen and stood at the doorway. Over the sink, washing dishes while the pot boiled on the stove, were both Chi Chi and Videl, looking just as beautiful as ever.

Nudging him in the side, Pan signaled the countdown. 3… 2… 1…

Coming in slightly before her Grandpa's shout, Pan screamed out "SURPRISE!" before they both jumped into the room and hopped about in excitement.

They stopped when they realized that Chi Chi and Videl didn't respond. They must not have heard them or something. Was it possible to get so caught up in thoughts, you can't hear someone shout like that?

If anyone could daydream like her grandpa could nightdream, then it was very possible. It was impossible to wake him when he was out, and perhaps her mama and grandma had similar problems? They had to… unless they went deaf. And that would be a bad thing.

Pan walked up to her mother and hugged her around the waist. "Hi Mama! I'm home."

Videl shrugged her off and continued to wash dishes, completely ignoring her daughter. Pan stood back, frowning, not understanding why they wouldn't be happy at her return. She looked to her grandpa and saw he was equally confused.

Goku coughed and looked at the boiling pot. His eyes wandered to the kitchen table where a meal had been prepared and set out. He adjusted his gi awkwardly and said, "Hey Chi Chi…?" There was a long silence as the two women continued to ignore them. Goku looked to his granddaughter and cleared his throat, thinking perhaps Chi Chi didn't realize who it was. "So… what's for dinner?"

Pan hissed into his ear, "Grandpa! That's so rude of you. They haven't even said hello and now you're inviting yourself to dinner."

"But it looks so good. Of course they'd let us have some. I'm so hungry…"

"You just had ten hot dogs!"

"I know… but that was over an _hour_ ago…" Goku looked down, rubbing his stomach, and made his way to the table, taking a seat before a large rotisseried chicken. "Oh wow! This looks delicious!"

Goku began to reach over for a corn-on-the-cob, but was stopped short when his hand was smacked with a ladle, sounding out a loud _CRACK!_ Goku withdrew his hand in more shock than pain and confusedly looked up to see who hit him.

Chi Chi stood over him with a scowl and wild eyes. "That food is not for you!"

"But Chi Chi… There's more than enough for four people here…"

Chi Chi smacked him on the head with the ladle, issuing another large crack that almost shook the entire room. Goku reeled back of the chair, grabbing his head with a cry. "What'd you do that for?!"

"Get out of this house! GET OUT!"

Pan moved to stand beside her grandpa. "What's going on?"

Goku looked to her in confusion, "I don't know?!"

Pan stepped forward, biting her lip nervously, "Grandma…? It's me… It's Pan. Don't you recognize me?"

"GET.OUT.!!!!!!" Chi Chi threw her ladle at Pan, who jumped back in surprise, narrowly avoiding the flying object.

A low voice interjected calmly, "What's going on here?"

Pan turned to see her father standing sternly in the doorway. With a great wave of joy, she leapt forward toward him crying out "Papa!" Grabbing him and holding tight, Pan knew that her papa would help her. He always was there for her.

Gohan grabbed his daughter's hair and violently yanked her off of him, throwing her screaming into Goku, and knocking them both down.

Pan looked up, sniffling, trying to hold in a sob as she tenderly touched the part of her head he had yanked so hard. "W…Wh… -hic- … Why, Papa? _Why?_"

"Don't you ever _dare_ touch me again, you dirty Saiyan!"

Another form appeared from the stairs and stood next to her father. Goten glared menacingly at both Goku and Pan, and then looked to his brother, smirking, "Would you like for me to take care of them?"

"No," Gohan smirked darkly, "Let _me_ have the honors."

Goku sat up sharply, "Gohan!"

"Papa…"

Gohan brought his hands above his head and screamed out "MA…SEN…KO…" As he brought his hands before him, Goku grabbed Pan and bolted for the window, "HAAAAA!!!!!!"

The orange blast shook the entire complex and blew an entire side of the house away. Goku shielded Pan with his body, taking the blow head on as he tried to protect her. The blow knocked the wind out of him as he shot away from the house, toward the sky.

When they were a safe distance away from the remains of the house, Goku released Pan and panted heavily, still recovering from the blast. It was completely unexpected and he was taken by surprise. He didn't even have time to power up.

Goku frowned as Pan hovered, shaken and in shock before him. What was wrong with everyone? This didn't make any sense to him.

"You can't get away that easily!"

Goku turned just in time to see Gohan smack him square in the jaw, sending him flying backwards in the air. Goku caught himself and glared angrily at his son. "I don't understand, Gohan! What did we do?"

Gohan turned slightly to face his father with a dangerous smirk that wrinkled his face into an ugly grimace. He said, almost too calmly, "Death to all Saiyans," and, before Goku could react, he threw his left hand out toward Pan and emitted a huge wave of ki in her direction, "DIE!!!!"

Goku gasped and realized Pan would never be able to survive that. As fast as his body could take him, he raced to beat the blast and arrived just in time to grab Pan before being swallowed by the blast.

When Goku opened his eyes, he saw Pan was badly burnt and bleeding from her father's attack. With his heart wrenching in his chest, Goku turned his head to his son and screamed, "Gohan!!! Stop it right this instant, you could seriously injure your daughter!"

Pan choked in tears as he lowered her to the ground. Burnt and heartbroken, she breathed heavily, hiccupping in sobs as her body trembled from the pain of the blast. "Did I… Did I do something wrong?" Her eyes fluttered closed as she sobbed. "Why… Why does my dad… _-sniffle-_ hate…me…?"

Goku shook his head as he brushed her bloodied bangs back, "You did nothing wrong, Pan." He felt her grow limp in his arms and felt a wave of concern. "Pan?!" Suddenly seized by panic, he shook her violently, "Come on, wake up! Pan!"

Setting her form down on the ground, Goku spun angrily with his fists balled, "I will not let you get away with this!!!" He flew upward to face Gohan with an enraged passion inside of him. He stopped before the man and lowered his brow, looking Gohan square in the eye, remembering the time when Trunks had attacked her without meaning to. He asked his son the same question he asked Trunks back on the ship, thinking it to be _very _significant. "Are you the _real_ Gohan?"

Gohan looked surprised for a moment, "Huh?" Raising his eyebrows, he looked down at his body, patting his chest. "Well, _DAD_, as far as I can tell, yes I am!!!"

"And don't forget about me, _DAD_," the voice came from behind Goku, causing the boy to whip around to face his second son, "I'm the real_ GOTEN_." Taking his moment of surprise, Goten released a gigantic blast toward his father, who easily dodged it.

"Don't be such an amateur, Goten. I know you can fight better than that,_ sneaking_ _up_ behind someone to deliver an attack. I thought I taught you better than that."

Gohan threw his hands before him and sneered, "How dare a barbaric Saiyan call my brother an amateur."

Goku narrowed his eyes at his eldest son, "And how dare you, _Gohan_, call me 'barbaric'."

"HYAAA!" Both Gohan and Goten lunged forward, attacking Goku from both sides. Goku dodged a great deal of their attacks, and the rest, easily blocked. He had trained both of them, and he knew their techniques. But something was different in these two impostors. They were slower. They made mistakes his real sons would never do, like leave their stomachs vulnerable or miss a swing.

Goku took their blows without retaliating. He needed to figure out what was wrong with them and he needed time to think. They weren't acting like themselves… It was almost as if they were possessed by something.

A giant blow to his head knocked all thought out of him as Gohan's knee hit his stomach. Caught off-guard, his sons began beating on him and he found himself unable to find the wind to recuperate in time to dodge any more attacks.

With a burst of energy that shook the surface of the planet, Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan and threw his impostor sons off of him. They both hovered, smirking at him with blank stares, as if there was nothing behind their eyes, not even a soul.

Gohan turned to Goten with his smirk, and nodded to him, "You kill off the girl. I'll handle Goku." He spiked his ki and transformed into a Super Saiyan as well, his hair going as blonde as his father's.

"Gohan!" Goku's eyes widened in surprise, "Your hair! You're a Super Saiyan! But how? I thought you were a Mystic Saiyan?!" Goku was so shocked, he didn't even realize Goten was heading for Pan until it was too late.

With his eyes widening, he realized he could never make it to Pan in time to save her. A sick feeling wrenched in his stomach. "No!! NOOO!!! Goten, stop it! Stop this!!!"

Goten hovered a foot above the unconscious girl, with his left hand extended out toward her face. He looked up with a triumphant grin and held his nose high, "Say goodbye to your _precious Pan!_" A ki ball formed before his fist as he let out a maniacal laugh while Goku could only stare helplessly from across the field.

"Get away from ma granddaughter!" Goten didn't even see the blow until it struck his head and sent him a good ten meters away.

When Goten stood up, his eyes were red from rage, his fists balled tightly at his side, "How _dare_ you!!!" He reached his hands out and fired a large blast at the man who had taken him by surprise.

Before the blast could hit the man, it was smacked away by a pink form that phased in front of him. "You bad people! You no hurt friend!"

Goku blinked when he realized who the forms were that saved his granddaughter. "Mr. Satan! Majin Buu!!!" He dodged a swing to his head and kicked Gohan away from him, "Watch out! These two are not my sons!"

"Ah know!" Hercule cupped his hands to his mouth, calling out to Goku from behind the safety of Majin Buu, "_Baby_ is controllin' Gohan and Goten! He got in their heads and jack'd up their minds! The entire _human race_ is und'r Baby's control!"

Goku's eyes widened and, in his shock, his jaw dropped, but was soon knocked back into place from Gohan as he decided to catch his father off his guard. As he tried to fend off Gohan, Goku's mind was swarmed with realizations… Why the people in the park were so cold and suspicious… It all made perfect sense. Baby was the one behind all of this… And he _should_ have known! The minute he found out that Trunks was affected by Baby like he was, it should have been clear that Baby was a threat to anyone he touched.

Blocking a blast from Gohan, Goku trembled and felt incredible guilt for everything that happened… for what his sons had to endure while he was away… "How could I let this happen?!"

Goten levitated upward to watch Gohan's fight with his father, smirking widely. "We have been reborn under Lord Baby as Tuffles." Throwing his hands before him he let out a wave of energy to aid his brother in the fight against Goku.

Dodging it just in time, Goku phased out and reappeared behind Goten smacking him in the back and sending him crashing into Gohan. When the two Saiyans turned in seething rage, they both brought their hands back, and with a combined effort, they both poured their energy into one spot. Together, as one entity, they chanted "Ka…me….ha…me…"

"_Stop this!_"

Gohan and Goten dropped their hands and, both flustered, bowed in mid-air to a person that was behind Goku.

Turning around to another voice, Goku blinked when he saw who hovered before him. It was Vegeta. But not Vegeta… no… _This_ Vegeta had silver hair and red lines across his forehead and chin. His smirk… it was so incredibly disturbing, not even the Saiyan during his days of glory could have ever come close to matching the evil on his face. This was not Vegeta. This… _This _was _Baby_…

"No…" Goku choked and clutched at his hair in terror, that even _Vegeta_ could fall prey to the parasite. "No!!! No way! Not you too, Vegeta!"

A rock flew past him and almost hit Vegeta-Baby in the head, but a slight tilt of the chin, and the rock completely missed. Baby glared down to the source of the rock and bared his teeth angrily toward Mr. Satan.

The balding world champion cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Go back to where you came from, you mis'rable verm'n!"

"It's _you!_" Baby sneered at the elder man. "How did you escape my eggs? I thought I got every last pathetic human on this planet. I guess I must have missed one."

"Ah'll tell you how Ah escap'd you! Ah used the _same strategy!_ Ah hid inside _Buu!_" Hercule shook a fist at Baby and growled, "It's time ye were told what's _what_ 'round here! _Ah'm_ the _Champion of the World_ 'round here!"

"Well, you're going to be the 'Champion of the Next Dimension' after I'm through with you!" Baby smirked widely and brought his right hand in front of him.

"_Nobody_ talks to the World Champ that way! Goku, ma faithful pupil! You show that there Baby what yer made of!"

Baby made a slightly mockingly impressed "Ooooh!" and raised his eyebrows, pretending to be impressed, "I see, I misjudged you. I thought you were an _ordinary_ man. Now that I know you're Earth's 'Champion'… _you're HISTORY!!!_"

Baby formed a large blast and fired at Mr. Satan. Goku perked up and tried to block it, but Goten kicked him backward so he couldn't get in front of the blast.

Hercule watched the blast come with wide eyes, "Ah knew ma mouth would get me killed one day!" He raised his arms before his face and trembled, knowing his end was near.

"Buu save Mr. Satan!" Hercule was swept into large pink arms at the last minute, when the blast struck home. Majin Buu's body absorbed most of the blast that would have killed him.

"Buu!" Hercule grabbed and hugged Majin Buu. "Ya saved ma life!" He parted from Majin Buu and saw that Pan had taken part of the blast as well. Her skin was charred black and her clothes were torn. With his heart pounding, Hercule pointed to his granddaughter, "Buu! Get Pan to safety!" He watched as Buu quickly turned her into chocolate and swallowed her, so she would be safe in the pink indestructible body.

As Buu was working his magic, Hercule shook his fist up toward Goku, "Goku, don't hold back! Hit him with ev'rythin' Ah taught ya!" Laughing triumphantly, he put his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out. "Hey Baby, thought you could get away with this, eh? Hahahahah! HUH?!" Hercule was taken by surprise when Buu suddenly turned him into chocolate and ate him as quickly as he had eaten Pan.

Majin Buu zoomed off to the horizon, getting his friends to safety. Baby scowled as he watched the pink blob escape. Gohan noticed Baby's irritation at letting them escape, and smirked, nodding once, understanding completely. "He's all mine."

Gohan pulled his hands back to prepare a Kamehameha wave on the retreating Buu, but Baby put a hand to his chest, stopping him. "Enough! No need to waste your energy on them." Baby turned his head to face Goku, smirking widely, "_This_ is the only prize worth winning." He shiftily looked toward Goten and Gohan, sensing two more of his followers on their way to assist him. This battle was going to be quick, and Goku would never have seen it coming. "When he falls, it's all over."

Baby laughed in a high-pitched series of cackles, "And then, _kill_ the rest of the lot. Take no captives…" He brought his triumphant glare back to look Goku in the eye, "_Especially _this rat's granddaughter…"

----------

----------

-_12/5/04_-


	32. The Last of the Saiyans

CHAPTER 32:  
The Last of the Saiyans

It was getting dark when Pan awoke on the chilly frozen ground. A cold breeze whipped her hair in the dusk as she tried to lift her head from her arm and see the world, but every muscle ached in her body and she felt dizzy just from being barely able to breathe without pain. Moaning softly, she tried to extend her senses to pick up on any sounds around her other than the wind breathing through the mountains.

She could barely make out light whispering behind her, and it was too hard to make the voice out. Coughing and inhaling frigid air, Pan did everything she could to push herself up from the ground, but collapsed from the effort.

Something cold and wet landed on her arm, and she opened her eyes to see that a snowflake was quickly melting on her skin. Lifting her head up slightly with great effort, she saw the sky overhead was a dark gray which was becoming darker with every passing moment as the dusk was quickly becoming night.

She tried to remember how she got there. She had been with Trunks and her Grandpa, and then they went home and… it was hard to remember what happened from there. She closed her eyes and heightened her senses, burying her face into her arms, trying to sense her grandpa or Trunks, but was met with a shocking surprise. A huge, absolutely gigantic power level was right behind her and she didn't even realize it. She really must have been delirious not to notice it! But it was a different kind of ki. It didn't belong to her grandpa. The only other person who had that incredible amount of ki would be…

Pan summoned up all her energy to call out to him, lifting her head slightly so her words could escape her arms, "Ma…Majin Buu?"

"Oh, uh look Majin Buu! She's awake!"

Pan blinked into her arms, taken by surprise, "Gramps! Is that you!" She felt a body run up to hers and prod her gently, as if searching for the best place to handle her. She smiled into her arms, comforted that she had family with her, but humored more greatly because she could not sense her gramps's ki at _all_. After going on the trip for a year, she was so tuned to sensing only her other grandpa's and Trunks' energy, she could barely feel any weak kis anymore.

Strong hairy arms wrapped protectively around her and then suddenly brought her to a cold sweaty chest, almost smothering her. Shocked and terrified by the awful smell, Pan's eyes shot wide and she began to struggle, trying to pry her face away from his body. "Grmmp! Gmmrp!" Pan tried to find the strength to break away, but found it was an incredible feat. She continued to whine into his chest while trying to beat at him while Hercule hugged her even tighter and began to cry into her hair.

"Ah, Panny! Panny! -_sniffle- _Ah thought we'd lost ya! -_sniffle- _When Ah saw how bad you'd been hurt, Ah said to maself Ah'm gonna get revenge! So Ah let Goku handle them and… and… ­-­_sniffle_- Ah'm … Ah'm sorry Panny! Ah did ev'rythin' Ah could do!"

Pan brought her face sideways to face upward and frowned, "What do you mean? Where's Grandpa?"

"Well Majin Buu here says Goku's fadin' fast and…"

Pan stopped listening to him, closing her eyes and concentrating all her effort into a ki search. Zooming in to the west, she felt four large kis, one especially large, but she couldn't make out who was who. One must be her grandpa, two her papa and uncle, and one… it must be Vegeta, since Trunks was at Capsule Corp. If that were the situation, then why would Majin Buu be saying he couldn't sense her grandpa anymore?

Pan's eyes sprung open when she felt an enormous power suddenly emerge from nowhere, and it was continuing to grow. She looked west, where the last blues were fading, and gasped as the sky in the horizon began to grow red.

Her heart began to beat faster, her breaths became shorter, and with her widened eyes came a surge of adrenalin from panic. With renewed life, she pushed herself out of her Gramp's arms and found she was able to sit up. While sitting up, she became aware that she could stand. Pan was slightly puzzled, but made the most of it. It seemed strange. It was as if she somehow were tapping into a resource of power she never knew she had.

And, with this new power, she was able to detect another ki – a faint one, one that she could not sense before. Her body trembled as she realized who it was.

Hercule stood back, watching the horizon grow brighter with each passing moment. "What? What _is_ that? What's goin' on!"

Majin Buu smiled and clapped happily, "Buu see bright light!"

Pan felt her breath catch in her throat as something began to pull at her. A part of her began to flow undetected in the air toward the horizon. She could feel her losing something, but she couldn't tell what. A part of her was being given to the horizon, and it continued to pull her, to lull her into giving more.

The red continued to grow brighter, and then suddenly, as if there were a gigantic sun, it rose in the west, becoming larger and larger. It was not just red, but an array of oranges and black shadows within yellow lightning. Pan stood wide-eyed, taking in the sight. She had never seen anything like it before. It was as if it were a tremendously large ki attack, but that made no _sense_ because if it were a ki attack, it wouldn't have its own energy reading!

Pan choked, realizing her Grandpa was out there, and the chances were that he was not the one creating the attack. This new ki was too tremendously evil to be anything good in the world.

Pan stepped back and raised her newfound ki to levitate from the ground. She didn't know how long this power surge would last, or what was causing it, but she would make the most of it. If she had any say in it, she would help her Grandpa right now!

"Panny! Panny, what are ya doin'?" Hercule jumped forward and grabbed a hold of her ankle. "Ye can't go there! You'll die!"

"Let go!" Pan tried to shake Hercule off of her, doing her best to kick him with her free foot, "Grandpa needs my help!"

"I need ye more! You're the last one, Panny! Panny, don't go!"

"Get off! Get aahh….ahhhhh…AHHHHH!" The horizon suddenly exploded as if a gigantic nuclear weapon had wiped out an entire portion of the planet. The entire overcast sky lit up in fantastic beams of reds and oranges. The whole world flashed brighter than day in a breathless pause, and then it was gone, sucked back into the navy blue void in a silent heartbeat.

Pan felt her heart leap to her throat. Reaching out to sense kis, she felt the same four as previously, but the weak ki… It was hard to sense. Pan closed her eyes to focus her power better, probing the entire area for any sign of her Grandpa. Seconds passed like minutes, minutes passed like hours, everything seemed to be so slow, delayed, expectant, as if holding one's breath.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and a loud _BOOM!_ blew a mighty gust of wind at the trio on the mountain. The sound from the explosion earlier reached them with forceful gusts and howls, sending both snow and hail pouring down on them with tremendous blows. Pan was thrown backward into the mountain cliff behind them while Hercule toppled onto Majin Buu, screaming at the top of his lungs.

After the wind subsided, Pan lay against the rocks, panting heavily, still trying to scan for any life at all. Feeling a sob escape her, she realized that the four large kis had begun to approach her direction.

Stricken by horror, Pan realized that she had been emitting an enormous amount of unstable ki, easily detected by anyone who could read power levels. She dropped to the ground and masked her ki as quickly as she could manage, trying to hold back tears. Her Grandpa… Grandpa Goku… he…

Pan felt a sob escape from her chest as she pounded the ground with her fists, "Grandpa… why! Why did you die! _I need you!_" Pan sat down and cried into her hands, mourning his loss. How could this be happening…? How! Just earlier, everything was fine! She was with her Grandpa and with Trunks and they… they went to the park, and they delivered the dragonballs to Dende, and they should have had a nice dinner and a storytime, telling everyone about their adventures. She would have been able to hold her Papa again… She could have seen her Mama… She would have spent Friday over with Trunks and Vegeta and… and now it was all over. Someone… they all.. _all of them_… they made that ball… They killed her Grandpa Goku…

And now they were coming for her.

Pan gasped and tried to stand up, but collapsed, suddenly lacking that energy she had found before. She pushed herself up and lifted her head to look at Hercule. "Gramps… Majin Buu… We need to get out of here. We need to get to a safe spot. They're coming!"

"But, uh, Panny… _Where_ would be a safe spot?"

Pan trembled as she tried to think of a place they could go. Where had people not been affected? _Who_ had not been affected? Pan's eyes lit as she realized that Trunks was at Capsule Corp. He'd be okay! He was probably wondering where his father was at the moment… assuming that large ki had been Vegeta… but it was so hard to make out, and in a year, he seemed to have increased his power tremendously…

Pan shook her head trying to get her thoughts together. Nothing seemed to make sense, especially since her mind was going through traumatic turmoil. She had to clear her head and focus. First thing's first: she had to find Trunks and tell him what happened. Then, she, Trunks and Giru could go and gather all the dragonballs and wish everyone back to normal. As long as she'd stick to that plan, everything would work out fine.

Trunks was right. He always did end up getting Pan out of sticky situations. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she depended a great deal on both him and her Grandpa, and with Grandpa Goku out of the picture…

She tried not to think where that thought was heading. She could feel her chest contract again, and fought off the tears. Pressing her hands on the ground, she put everything she had into pushing herself to her feet. Finally able to stand, she leaned against the cliff, panting hard and trying to fight off her depression. Everything… Everything would be okay. Everything always was okay in the end. She just needed to keep reminding herself of that.

"Panny?" Hercule tiptoed closer to her and then lay a palm on her shoulder before speaking in his gruff voice. "Do ya have any ideas where we could go?"

Pan nodded, "Capsule Corp."

"Capsule Corp!" Hercule took a step back and grabbed at his thinning hair, "But… but that's where _Baby_ lives!"

"Huh?" Pan knotted her brow, "Baby?"

"Ye know, _BABY!"_

A huge lead weight just smacked her in the chest. She inhaled sharply, and narrowed her eyes. She asked slowly and coolly, with a low voice, "What does Baby have to do with this?"

"Ev'ryone's bein' controlled, Panny. Your father, ma daughter, the whole Briefs family… _Ev'ryone!_"

Pan took several breaths to calm herself. How did Baby get here! How did he know about Earth? What would happen to Trunks, now that Baby was back? Her heart was racing as she shook her head violently, promising herself to figure this all out later, "Well then, we have to get there _fast_, won't we? Trunks is there!"

----------

The trip toward Capsule Corp. was a little less comfortable than Pan had hoped. Being forced to conceal her ki, Pan permitted herself, after great reluctance, to be turned into chocolate and eaten by Buu. Apparently she had been inside him before, when that impostor of her father happened to knock her out, but she had no recollection. She almost wished she were unconscious again, though. Buu was not exactly the most graceful limousine.

Being inside Buu was like bathing in a tub of gelatin. It felt strange, sticky, slimy and grimy. Surrounded by pink globs that pinned her inside some cocoon, Pan found herself wondering how she ever was convinced of traveling this method. She was stuck in some shell of goo, and she couldn't budge – not that she'd want to, anyway.

She had heard about the innards of Buu before. Her Grandpa had told her the story of how he and Vegeta entered Buu to save Piccolo, Trunks, her Uncle Goten and Papa, back when Majin Buu was a menace to the world. After hearing about it, she wasn't too keen on going there, herself. And now that she was here, her opinion remained unaltered. She couldn't wait to get out there.

She turned her head to look at her Gramps, frowning slightly from the pungent odor of mildew in the air. He was mumbling something under her breath, and Pan tried to strain her ears to hear, but all she could make out from him was something along the lines of, "I dun' know why we half to go righ' to the heart of…", "What if Baby is thare, how wud we…" and "Ah'm the World Champ! Ah kin take them on anyday!"

Pan sighed to herself, tuning herself out of his nonsensical babble and thinking to herself, _It must be really nice to be the World Champ. Everything must seem so much easier if you really believe that you can give your fears a run for their money. _Perhaps one day she, herself, would be able to be a World Champ like her Gramps and Grandpa. It was her dream, to be able to follow in their footsteps. Besides, the ten million won at the tournament could really help her out. Although her Gramps offered her a promising trust fund when she would turn 18, she wanted to be able to start off with her _own_ money. She didn't want any obligations to pay people back. As it was, she would make sure to pay Trunks back for all those "barter gems" she spent on the trip in space. He treated her to everything for an entire year, and although her Grandpa was oblivious that it must have cost the Briefs family several million zenie to support them all, Pan took it all into account. Even if Trunks refused any monetary compensation, she wanted to something really nice for him and his family. But her feelings weren't just because of how he took care of her on the trip… There was something else to it. She had never had a real best friend before, and she assumed it was the feeling of being able to trust him with anything, especially her life. She knew she could always run to him. He would always be there for her, no matter what. He promised her that, and she believed him.

And now, it was her turn to be there for him. Majin Buu was doing everything he could to get them to Capsule Corp. fast.

Suddenly, the chamber Pan and Hercule were in lurched forward then sprung backwards, as if Majin Buu had abruptly stopped in his tracks. Hercule grumbled something and yelled out, "Hey! Majin Buu! What's goin' on!"

Majin Buu's high and cheery voice echoed throughout the chamber like a mother's voice to a child in her womb, "Mr. Satan come and see! Lightning _all over_ the sky!"

Pan rolled her eyes, irritated that Buu would want to take a sightseeing tour of the world before rushing to help her friend. "Majin Buu! Just hurry and get us to Capsule Corp!" Pan tried to budge her arms, but they stuck fast to the goo that had melted around her.

"Pan see too! Big red dragon! So pretty!"

Pan let out a muffled yelp as she suddenly found her cocoon break apart around her and felt her body magically stretch to a larger proportion. Within a split second, before she even knew what was happening, she found her way shooting through a throat and out a giant hole, landing on the cold night's snow before the fat pink blob. As soon as she looked up to survey her surroundings, another yelp issued from Buu and Hercule was spit out onto the ground beside Pan.

Looking around, Pan noted that they were on another mountain cliff, overlooking West City in the distance. Majin Buu had been taking the back roads to the city, sticking to the ground the whole time so he would not be spotted by Baby. Taking the long route cost them some critical time, but at least they were safe, looking down toward the night-lit city which cast bright lights upon the overcast clouds. The only way Pan could truly make out her surroundings in the pitch black night was from the frequent yellow bolts of lightning scattered throughout the sky. Outside the city, a good twenty miles or more away, a giant red dragon towered in the distance.

_What is that!_ Pan tapped into her ki senses again and tried to read the dragon's energy. Was that Shenron? She had heard stories of how Shenron was a brilliant shade of green. But this dragon was red! Someone was making a wish on the dragonballs… and this dragon was _not_ Dende's dragon! The only other option would be…

Pan's eyes widened as she realized she was looking upon the dragon of the black star dragonballs. The _BLACK STAR_ dragonballs! The ones that would destroy the Earth in a year's time if used again! The ones that she just delivered to Dende and Mr. Popo this afternoon… with her Grandpa… and Trunks…

She felt like she was going to be sick. All that work… All that searching and all those adventures of hers… Running into Baby in the first place… It was all for nothing if those dragonballs were used. Now what was she going to do? Her Grandpa was dead… and Trunks… She had to find him!

In the distance, the dragon's eyes glowed a bright red. Pan could barely see its face, but its mouth moved, as if saying its legendary words, "Your wish has been granted." Pan brought her hands to her hair and dropped to her knees, realizing it was over. Without her Grandpa… Without her family… What… what was she going to do? She felt lost, abandoned, completely hopeless.

The lightning suddenly cleared and the clouds dissipated. Without the lightning, there would be no way to see out in the wilderness at this time of night. Pan let out a sigh as she was prepared to let the darkness swallow her whole, in her misery. It would be a fitting end to such a tragic homecoming.

But the night was not dark. For some reason, the world was enveloped in a pale red light, its source unknown. Pan looked around in bewilderment. Where was that light coming from?

"Oh, uh, look Panny!" Hercule opened his mouth wide and pointed behind her, "The moon is back! But er… It ain't the moon. What is that!"

Pan spun around on her heel and saw something rising in the east – something enormous, red, and stunningly beautiful on the horizon. Even though it was in a crescent shape, it was easily recognized as a planet. A gigantic planet was rising in the East. Pan could practically feel her mouth hit the ground. Whoever had used the dragonballs… That person wished a planet into Earth's orbit! But _why!_ It wasn't M2, that's for sure. Obviously Baby would have made that wish… How else would he have gotten Dende and Mr. Popo to hand over the dragonballs! Pan swallowed a sob in her throat. She, her Grandpa, and Trunks were deceived… She _knew_ something was wrong. She had a bad feeling when returning home… And now it was all over! It was ALL OVER!

Feeling tears stream down her eyes, Pan looked down to her feet, "Mother Earth… I hate to tell you this, but in one year you're going to explode…" She fell to her knees again and clawed the pink-tinted snow, sniffling softly to herself, "Unless we gather all the balls together in one year's time…" She choked, squeezing her eyes closed and feeling the hopelessness, "But I can't… But I can't…" Releasing a sob, she shook her head and let it fall, "I can't do it alo–"

"–The Earths gonna _EXPLODE! We're DOOMED!_" Hercule let out a high pitched scream and clawed at his hair while running around Buu like a chicken without its head. "What are we gonna _do! What are we gonna do!_"

Buu nudged him violently and tried to whisper in the most serious tone of his cheery voice he could manage, "Quiet! Pan should not hear that!"

Hercule stopped and took a deep breath, recoiling from his panic with such swiftness, it was as if his scare had never happened at all, "You're right! Ah'm the adult here. Ah shud act like we're okay even if we're all doomed…" Coughing casually, he wiped his clothes with grace and pride and held his head high, trying his best to appear composed. "Pan, don' worry. Everythin's gonna be okay. Ah _promise!_"

Pan released another sob when that word reminded her of Trunks. Thinking of Trunks made her think of her Grandpa… "Grandpa…" How would things be okay without her Grandpa? How could he die! _HOW! _How could he leave her like this?

"We need… We need to get to Capsule Corp." Pan sniffled and got to her feet, brushing the snow off her jeans. "We need to find Trunks before it's too late."

----------

There was a huge crowd outside of Capsule Corp. The masses of people were cheering for their new master, Lord Baby, and how he now, officially, without any opposition at all, was the proud ruler of the people both on Planet Earth and the new Planet Tuffle.

People were caroling in joy, dancing in the streets in celebration of the death of the "Saiyan Trash Goku," who met his end with a "Revenge Death Ball" which they all were able to contribute to. They all helped their master achieve his ultimate goal, and everyone in the world rejoiced… except Pan, Hercule, and Majin Buu. But Majin Buu didn't understand what was happening, offering to turn everyone into chocolate and rid the world of Baby's new followers. And Hercule, all he did was brag about how he'd be able to defeat Baby once and for all and put an end to this madness that had been affecting the world for almost two months.

When Buu released Pan and Hercule, they took the back stairs to Capsule Corp. Pan didn't want to risk flying, in case someone could sense her, and figured it'd be easier to break into Capsule Corp. jumping in from the roof rather than climbing from the base. There'd be less of a chance of being spotted that way.

Capsule Corp. was an immensely large building, and the fact that the Briefs lived on the penthouse of it didn't help Pan's climb, even though she was going as fast as she could up the fire escape stairs. Her Gramps was lagging behind, panting about becoming old, and Majin Buu was playing games, seeing if he could hop up multiple stairs at a time. Eventually, after being completely winded by the workout, everyone finally made it to the roof.

Pan threw open the doors leading to the roof and stepped outside to the cold night air. The world was a completely red tint by now, and it seemed eerie, slightly creepy, as if the Earth were basked in a shade of blood.

"Finally!" Pan panted a bit and wiped her forehead as she stepped forward to get a better view of the top of the building. The roof was not large, since the building was shaped like a dome, but it was convenient for them. From here, they'd be able to get a good look of the city and see what was going on around them. Ironically, this was perhaps the safest spot they could be in at the moment, since Baby would never imagine they came right to his lair in order to hide.

Pan walked over to the edge of the roof, looking down on the structure, trying to see if any windows were left open or slightly ajar. Hercule was mumbling something to Majin Buu about heights, and preferred to stick to the center of the round pad. Concentrating on her task, Pan found what she was looking for. It was two stories down, in front of a large tree that grew beside Capsule Corp. It was the guest bedroom window, most likely, which was next to Trunks' suite. Perhaps if she could just jump onto the tree and climb in from there…

The ground suddenly shook, throwing Pan off balance against the railing. Majin Buu let out a yip of surprise while Hercule moaned in confusion. Hercule staggered toward Pan and pulled her away from the edge of the roof as the world shook beneath them. Hercule smothered her against his hairy chest while yelping, "What's happenin'? What's goin' on! Why is the world shakin'!" at no one in particular.

Beside the complex of Capsule Corp., the ground suddenly opened and a giant – no, absolutely _humungous _structure appeared beside the building. Labeled with large "CAPSULE CORP" labeling, the structure was unmistakably a spaceship. A giant spaceship with rockets and everything. During Pan's year away, Bulma had converted the Capsule Corp. parking lot into a launching pad! This was completely bizarre.

Pan had to agree with her Gramps in wondering what was going on. It was easy just to consider that Baby took over the world. It was another thing to know he murdered her Grandpa… and another to realize he made a wish on the Black Star Dragonballs, but _this!_ What was Baby intending to do? Ship a country out to space? What did he intend to achieve?

Pan looked up to the sky. The Planet Tuffle was almost above them, now. It clicked in her mind, suddenly. Baby wanted to transport people to the new planet. But why? What was wrong with Earth? Why did he have to make a wish to destroy Earth and create a new planet for people to live on?

Once again, it clicked in her mind… that was _exactly_ Baby's intention. He killed two birds with one stone. By wishing Tuffle into existence, he'd be eliminating Earth and any remnant of humankind.

Pan narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. She'd never let Baby get away with doing this! _NEVER! _But first, she had to find Trunks…

Closing her eyes and opening her mind to a ki search, she surprisingly found that no strong kis were within Capsule Corp. That must mean that Trunks went out somewhere. Pan hoped beyond all hope that he didn't try stopping by her house for a visit. If he saw what happened to her house… If he ran into her Papa and her Uncle Goten…

Pan's thoughts were abruptly interrupted when she found all the strong kis she was searching for. With a wave of panic, Pan's eyes flew open as her heart threatened to tear itself free from her chest. Her eyes widened further as her body began to shake, and she did everything she could to mask her ki as her body shuddered from fear.

Looking up… right above her head… _Right above her_… was everyone… _Everyone_ was right above her… Pan worked up courage to look upward, to see the feet of a circle of Saiyans… no… Tuffles… gathered together around … someone… looking at the new spaceship that emerged from the ground.

Who was that person? Was that Vegeta! That couldn't be Vegeta…! He had weird metallic eyes and white hair and…. Pan realized, with a start, that he was Baby. Baby had not only taken over _Vegeta_, but he had completely morphed the Saiyan Prince into some weird form of the parasite.

All they had to do was look straight down. There was nothing obstructing their view of Pan, Hercule and Majin Buu on the roof of Capsule Corp. Pan's breath caught in her throat as she stepped backward, and signaled for her Gramps to be quiet. Bumping into him, she whispered loudly, "Get back into the fire escape! Don't look up!"

At her command, Hercule instinctively looked up and was met with a rush of panic. "WHA–!"

Pan clamped her hand over his enormous mouth and hissed, "Shhh!" She scowled at him and then looked up again to see if anyone had heard them. The circle of her family and friends were gathered there, talking among themselves, obviously distracted.

Pan narrowed her eyes to see who, in fact, had been taken over by Baby. She saw her Papa… Bra… even Tien and Chaotzu were talking to… Who was that? Squinting, she made out Yamucha in the crowd… But behind Yamucha, talking to her Uncle Goten…

Her heart sunk to the floor as her breath caught in her throat. No…. No! NO! "No!" Pan clutched her chest as a pain swept through her, as if her heart had completely torn in shreds within her own body. She lost all her balance and felt like she was going to faint. Dropping to her knees, and barely propping herself up, her elbows threatened to give out on her, to send her collapsing fully to the ground.

Any shred… Any remote, slightly miniscule shred of the faintest glimmer of potential hope… It was ripped from her as she realized who it was… the last person… the fourth strong ki that had been present when her Grandpa…

"Trunks…" She lowered her head and cried freely, not caring anymore about her pride. Everything was lost now. Nothing was left. Everyone was gone.

Hercule bent down and put his hand on her shoulder, frowning slightly, "Let him go, Pan… Please…"

Pan stood up shakily and wiped her eyes with her hands. Sniffling, she clutched her stomach and rocked a bit as she looked to the ground, "I… I need him… Without him… how can we…? The Earth…" She choked on sobs, closing her eyes for a moment. Opening them, she turned and hugged her Grandpa Hercule with all her might, crying into his chest, "He's… he's my best friend, Gramps…"

Hercule hugged her close and whispered into her hair, "Ah know, Panny. Ah know…"

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-_12/14/04_-

Quick note to Erica: Check your email, babe! I've sent you stuff that you need to seriously read, and since you are never on AIM, how else am I supposed to rebut your review? Vegeta/Baby has no intention ofdoing that. I don't know where you got that idea from. I think you are confusing Baby with someone. Check your email. >/


	33. Growing Up

CHAPTER 33:  
Growing Up

Under a layer of sheets, Pan brought her knees to her chest and breathed deeply, trying to hold back her tears. She didn't know how she could still be crying. Every day, she shed more tears, even during the few moments of happiness she could share in the smallest things, whatever they may be. There were little things in her life she could pretend to smile about, pretend to enjoy, but deep in her heart, she was fading. A part of her was dying, as even the tiniest things would trigger memories, of her family, of her friends, of her Grandpa…

It had been nearly two months since they found out they were the only people in the world that escaped Baby's spell. They were living in a Capsule house in the forest, and all communication with the outside world was lost a long time ago.

Pan had been full of questions lately, constantly pondering the fate of the world. How long would this last? Until the end of time? What was going to happen to the Earth? Would the world explode and people continue to live on as Tuffles on the giant red planet that waxed and waned on the horizon? What would happen to herself?! Would she go on through life as an outcast, living in hiding…? Living in fear?

And if she rose up to face Baby… What could she do? She knew how powerful Vegeta's body was. She had never been able to come even _close_ to matching him during their sparring sessions. Even her Papa, without having seriously trained for almost twenty years, was more powerful than her. If she went to face them, she would die. And then who would be left to save them? Who would be able to rescue them from Baby's reign?

Two months had gone by, and all Pan could do was sit and wait. There was nothing to wait for. It wasn't like her Grandpa was coming back. It was more like stalling, too scared to actually face her problems, but too proud to run away from them. But to where could she run? To whom?

Time was just ticking by and the most she had achieved was sneaking off to West City for the first month after they were forced to live in hiding, to climb one of the giant trees next to Capsule Corp., spending time hiding in the branches, looking in through Trunks' window, to a dark room most of the time, but during which time she would think about her life… What it used to be… How she used to be so happy back before any of this had happened. She could clear her mind and think of happier thoughts when watching Capsule Corp, even though she was so close to where Baby lived.

Once in a while, she would get a glimpse of Trunks, usually right before bed. He looked normal – his usual calm self, with a stoic look on his face as he would fold clothes and put them away. Every now and then, he'd briefly glimpse out the window, but only to see that it was dark. Pan never dared to go to West City in broad daylight.

She stopped those occasional visits after a month had passed and nothing had changed except more people were being gathered into West City, to prepare for the launch that would take them all to the Planet Tuffle, as if the world were undergoing a massive pilgrimage. And a month after that, now two months after she lost her Grandpa and Trunks, the only thing she had done was learn to daydream of nostalgia and what her life used to be like.

Every day now, Pan felt like her life had less and less meaning. Two months, and what had she accomplished? Nothing. Nothing except learning how to survive on Majin Buu's sweets, her Gramps' cooking, and sneaking in and out of cities. She found herself unable to eat much nowadays. Her food just looked bland, and it tasted sour, and everything in her life was just… pointless. Her life had no purpose, and she felt it every time she took a breath, every time she took a bite, every day she woke up and every night she would try to fall asleep.

Two months of depression, and every day, she felt it more. It always loomed in the back of her mind, how the world she and Trunks and her Grandpa worked so hard to save… was going to meet its end… at the beginning of next winter. And it was all her fault. If she had noticed… If she had seen that Dende and Mr. Popo were acting strange… No, that's not right. If she had _acted on_ the fact that she _did_ notice they were acting strange, then this whole situation wouldn't have happened. Well, no, that's not true, because Baby came before they landed on Earth. But if she and Trunks and her Grandpa could have killed that parasite back on M2, everything would have been better. If this… and if that… If she could have changed the past… If… If…

Pan cried into her pillow, for the third time that day, realizing she was just fooling herself into believing that she could have made a difference. She… She never made a difference. She had convinced herself that Trunks and her Grandpa needed her on the trip, but they could have handled everything fine. If her Uncle Goten would have gone, they never would have gone back to M2 in the first place. If was only because she begged and pleaded to them that they gave in… And it was her fault… It was her fault that they even discovered Baby. If Baby never would have met them, and came to Earth later… then there might have been a chance… They might have been able to fight him.

All she ever did was screw things up. It was all her fault that her Grandpa was gone… And now that she was the last Saiyans, one of the only three to escape Baby, she couldn't even avenge her own family. The Tuffles were right… Pan was just a worthless piece of trash…

Pan shook her head against the pillow and choked on her tears. She had to stop thinking like that if she ever wanted to get better and gain any confidence to fight Baby. She refused to go down without a fight. If they came for her… if they found her, she would resist to the death. She wouldn't just _give in_ like Trunks must have – that stupid, stupid, lame pathetic excuse for a Saiyan. She hated him! She hated him with every ounce of her passion because… because _he_ was the reason they weren't in space right now, gathering the dragonballs, making a wish so the people could be normal again…

The dragonballs… All it would take is a single wish... That's all. But the dragonballs were scattered… And without a space ship…

Pan suddenly stopped breathing and opened her eyes wide. In her panic, in her shock and depression for so long, she had completely forgotten about the dragonballs! The _Earth's _dragonballs! Dende's Red-Star-Dragonballs.

Pan sat up in bed and released the pillow she had been holding. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her tears from her eyes and brushed her lengthening hair back with her fingers. She would find the dragonballs somehow. She wouldn't be able to fly, or else Baby or her Papa or someone else could sense her. She'd have to do it the old-fashioned way, using ground transportation like Bulma did when she was younger, or the Flying Nimbus… The Flying Nimbus… The cloud that refused riders unless they were pure of heart.

She hadn't ridden the Flying Nimbus in years. She didn't even know if she _could_ ride on it anymore. What kind of person had she become? A girl who let her grandpa die and her best friend fall under Baby a second time? A girl who was useless? A girl too weak, too young, too stubborn to be any good to the world? Without her family, she was nothing. She was nothing special.

Her Grandpa… Now _he_ was _special_. He was a true hero. And, her Papa was a hero. Her Gramps befriended Buu and thus became a hero. Trunks saved her life before she was going to die in that star, and he became a hero. She didn't even know what Vegeta or her Uncle Goten did that could have made them heros, since she never talked to them about what they had achieved in their lives, but she was more than sure that they both were heros, even if her Uncle Goten had saved a girl from choosing the wrong ice cream flavor on one of their dates.

And she… She was no hero. She always tried to take credit for things, or blame other people for faults. She always acted tougher than she was, as if trying to prove something to people, like she made a difference just because she had the ability to stand out. She would come home crying to her Papa and Mama about how people only appreciated her because she was the granddaughter of someone, versus _being_ someone, herself, and she had blamed her misery on the world… when, in fact, all this time, she was just angry with herself.

She was such a hypocrite! For years, she expected people to appreciate her for being _her_, but in actuality, now that she looked back on it, she wanted people to appreciate her for being her, the granddaughter of two heros. And then she went and cried over the fact that people associated her with her grandparents! She had set herself up in _her own loop of misery_, and she blamed it on everyone else!

So how… how would she be able to ride Nimbus? How would she be able to ride it when she had so much spite, self-inflicted hatred and pity, and lived one giant lie to herself?

And even if she could ride it, what would she do from there? Fly around the world and search every nook and cranny, behind every rock, within every blade of grass? That would be impossible to do without the dragon radar. And the dragon radar was off-limits to her. _How_ would she be able to get the dragon radar? Giru was inside of Capsule Corp. and she hadn't seen the robot since she last saw Trunks, the _real_ Trunks, on the Lookout, right before her world got turned upside-down. And that seemed so long ago. So much had changed since then. And Giru, he was missing inside of Baby's lair, and he would be incredibly difficult to retrieve.

It was one thing to hide behind the leaves of a deciduous tree, but another matter completely if she thought she could actually waltz into the lair of Baby and Trunks and anyone else in there that could find her, without encountering a series of unfortunate events. She would have go into Capsule Corp. at a time when everyone would be out. But what event would gain the attention of _everyone_ at Capsule Corp. at once?

Pan sprang to her feet when an epiphany came to her. The launch! The launching of the giant spaceship! How could she not have foreseen it?! _Everyone_ would be there, seeing the first crew off to the new planet. That would be the perfect time! Perhaps Baby himself, and all his posse, would do Pan the honor of shipping themselves off to Tuffle as well, so she could start flying again without worrying about being caught.

And once they all were gone, she'd be able to train again, so she could get stronger. Maybe… maybe if she trained a bit, somehow tapped into that power that she had felt twice before… maybe it could help her, even just a little bit. But the problem was that she didn't know what she did before, and it wasn't like the power randomly swarmed over her like the power her papa described as becoming a Super Saiyan, but rather, that it felt like it was _always _there, but some wall has come down and she was able to access it more easily.

It all made no sense to Pan, and she promised herself that she'd think more on it later. Later, she'd worry about things. Later, she'd solve problems. Later, she'd ponder her abilities, or worry about her family, or miss her grandpa, or think about better days. But if she continued to pray that she'd fix things later, then nothing would get done.

It was now. Things had to be done _now._ Like, keeping a watchful eye for the launching day. She'd make sure they would make a special trip to West City as a group. She knew what she could tell her Gramps. He and Majin Buu could stand by, just in case, and if Baby were to return to Capsule Corp. before Pan came out with Giru, then they'd cause a distraction of some sort. It might be hard to convince her Gramps to volunteer himself to be a human target, but if it could buy her time to find the dragon radar, then everything could pay off.

So that would be the plan. On "launching day", sneak into Capsule Corp, grab Giru, leave, and find all the dragonballs while Baby is a sitting duck. Once Pan would wish back her grandpa, everything would be okay. She just knew it. When he would return, things would finally be set straight. And, everyone would be rescued, including her Papa, her Mama, Uncle Goten, and Trunks.

Trunks.

Pan sat back down on the bed and reached for her pillow again. Gently taking it into her hand, she brought it to her body and hugged it tight, burying her face within it. She had gone two months without any friends other than her Gramps and, in a way, Majin Buu, though he was a little hard to talk to. Her Gramps did everything he could to cheer her up, to try to talk to her about things, about life in general. He wanted to talk about memories, and he even, for once, offered to stop talking about himself… when he remembered, that is.

It was during those talks, she realized… how _boring_ her Gramps was. He was all talk, and no story. He had nothing interesting to say, so he would fill in plotline with his own personal vanity, fibbing slightly about how he always managed to save the day. Pan grew tired of his talks and just stopped coming out of her room except to eat, or at least try to eat. She had been feeling so incredibly friendless lately, she was getting sick from just thinking about her friends… like Trunks. Though, she felt as if she was sicker from not being able to see him than from missing him. Those brief times she'd be able to look in through his window a month before, it really helped her forget a lot of the problems she had been facing.

Perhaps she'd go again tonight. She hadn't been there for some time. While in West City, perhaps she could pick up some information about when the ship would launch its first batch of lemmings to the planet. She'd have to go in secret, though. She never told her Gramps when she'd be returning to West City. If he knew she was leaving, he'd have a heart attack, and she didn't want to worry him. He was paranoid enough as it was.

There was a soft knock on the door to her room which knocked her out of her thoughts. Pan hugged the pillow tighter and spoke into it, creating a slight muffle to her voice, "Who is it?"

That was a stupid question. Of course it was her Gramps, but it was similar to the concept of answering a telephone with "Hello" even though she would already know who was calling if someone were to call back.

"It's me, Panny! Ah wannid to tell ya that dinner is ready."

Pan sighed and loosened her grip on her pillow. She looked up, feeling the same queasy feeling she had been having lately regarding food. "I'm not hungry."

Her Gramps' voice came loudly from behind the door, "But Panny! You haven't eat'n all day!"

Pan tossed the pillow aside and walked to her closet, grabbing her red coat from her space tour. "I said I'm not hungry."

The doorknob rattled for a bit, but when her Gramps realized it was locked, he sighed and rapped on the door lightly, to gain her attention again. "Alright, well, Ah'll put your dinner in the fridge, okay? Ah hope you feel better. If ya need anyone to talk to, ye know where I'm at. Sounds like ya need to clear your mind."

Pan waited for the footsteps to go away before slipping her coat on and zipping it up. Walking up to her window and opening it wide, she looked back to her door and sighed, before jumping out and landing on the ground outside, "You're right, Gramps. I sure do."

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-_12/16/04_-

_Warning: Long Author's Note:_

Don't be misled by my fanfiction. I'm telling this through Pan's point of view.

Pan is not aware that a _lot_ of people have managed to escape Baby's clutches. She has only been exposed to herself, Hercule, and Majin Buu. But there are 8 others: (1) Piccolo, (2) Seventeen, (3) Uub, (4) Master Roshi, (5) Oolong, (6) Turtle, (7) Puar, and (8) Goku.

As I said before, I'm elaboring on what GT has presented. We know that Piccolo is not under Baby's control in GT because he never fights by Baby's side. We also know that Piccolo is aware of Baby. In the episode where Gohan gets possessed, Piccolo challenges him, and while Piccolo is trying to pick up Goten (if you watch the episode close, you'll see that Piccolo is holding Goten at the time), Gohan fires a Kamehameha at him and injures him. But since Goten is, in the next scene of GT, shown over at Capsule Corp, one can only assume that Piccolo dragged himself out of the ditch, delivered Goten, and went into hiding from Baby, knowing that everyone was getting possessed.

Seventeen, we can assume, is free from Baby's clutches because everyone seems to forget about him in DBZ and GT. He went into some hermit phase, vanished from Eighteen's life, and was never seen again until the Super Android 17 Saga. I hope to make use of Seventeen, even if for a cameo in my fic, so I can establish what his personality is before he goes crazy and fuses with… himself. (Ever wonder what Mirai Trunks fused with GT Trunks would look like? Sorry, but that just kinda spurred a creative vision from my mind).

Uub, as GT makes known, has escaped by hiding in the mountains; Master Roshi and his entourage are hiding in a submarine off the coast of Roshi's Island; and Goku is very much alive and kicking over on the Kais' planet.

So that covers where everyone is. Don't be misled by the fact that I'm writing everything through Pan's point of view, because she's not aware of a lot of things happening in the story.

GT focused more on Goku's point of view during the Baby Saga. I'm assuming that most people have seen GT and know that Goku is currently playing a never-ending board game in another dimension and/or training under Ancient Kai and Kibito Kai. My intention is to write what's happening on Earth, this time around. I wish that GT centered more on what Pan was going through during the Baby Saga. Now, you guys can experience it.

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**_One last thing: Next Chapter (Chapter 34) is going to be Rated R._** I will put a full disclaimer up, and, just to make sure people don't get tempted to read it, I will put a summary of my next chapter BEFORE my chapter begins, so I'm sorry if the summary acts as a spoiler, but I don't want little kids reading the Rated R portion. I feel that 13 year olds are old enough to read adult situations, but to keep my arse safe on fanfiction. net, I'm going to have to offer a summary. If you don't read the summary, and feel like you can handle the real chapter, then be my guest. _I'm just giving this as fair warning_ of what is to come.

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Woo, that's it for my Author's Notes. I haven't written any of those in a while ; )


	34. An Unpleasant Reunion

_Note (March 12, 2005 UPDATE):This is an updated chapter... again. However, very few lines have been changed. The only significant difference is theaddition of the words "have my baby". Other than that, I fixeda few typos. I want to take this time to mention that this is one of themost popular, yet incredibly controversial, chapters of my story. Due to this fact, I have rated thischapter "R", with both a summary and the full-length unabridged/unedited chapter following it._

_**WARNING: This Chapter is RATED R**_

_**R means "R", people!**_

_**NOT PG-13!**_

Now kiddos, the stuff here isn't _THAT_ bad, but if I get reported to for posting a Rated R chapter within a PG-13 story without having this huge, long, elaborated disclaimer ahead of it, then I could get suspended from for an entire month, got that? That means NO STORY for a month. So if you are under 17, you are NOT ALLOWED in any sense to read this chapter. **_RATED R_ means you have to be 17 or older to read this chapter**

In order to dissuade people from reading this, I have decided to post a summary, in great detail, of what happens in this chapter. So I have a G-Rated version, and then, afterward, I have my R rated version.

If you are over 17 and feel like you can handle adult content, then be my guest to _skip the summary_ and go straight to my chapter. For all those not 17 yet, better luck next time, aka. a few years. Just hope your mouse doesn't scroll down too far or _else! Or ELSE!_

Nah, there's nothing I can do if you want to read it. _But I want to make you aware that what you're doing is against regulations_. They are the boss here. I'm just a freelancer who has decided to stick to the rules. Now, for all those not 17 yet, I sure hope the summary can suffice.

If you _do_ decide to read the chapter (I know all you guys will. I'm not stupid. If you've made it this far, aka. 241 pages into the story, I'm quite sure you're going to want to read the rest), _just know that I did everything I could to keep you guys from going too far down with the scroll bar_.

But, just like can't prevent 9 year olds from hitting the "Rated R" option for fanfiction searches, I can't prevent you guys from reading an awesome chapter.

Just for all our sakes, if you decide to review at all, PLEASE just put a little sentence on the top stating your age, 17 or older, so if makes a big deal about this chapter, I can show that ONLY 17+ YEAR OLDS READ THIS. If you aren't going to say you are 17, please email me instead of reviewing.

It stays _off the record_ if you decide to read it and refuse to state you are 17. I don't want any reviews from people under 17! **This never happened, got it?** If you would like to email me reviews, my email is lauraneato at gmail. com

G Rated Summary:

**(Skip this if you are 17 or older. I don't want to give spoilers away yet)**

CHAPTER 34:  
An Unpleasant Reunion

Pan runs through the shadows of West City, making sure not to be spotted as a magnificent parade is going on. There is music, there are balloons, and ice cream and cotton candy served on this beautiful clear and sunny day that is occurring at the beginning of spring. Pan runs over to Capsule Corp, but is very self-conscious about the outfit that she is wearing. Because she is visiting West City in broad daylight, her Gramps forced her to dress up in an outfit that nobody would recognize her in – a light blue spandex tube top and a black mini skirt, complete with sneakers and full make-up.

She gets to Capsule Corp and climbs through various trees in the gardens, making sure nobody spots her, and then ultimately enters the guest bedroom from the giant tree right beside Capsule Corp, but not before breaking a branch that is incredibly loud and scaring her into thinking someone might have heard. But she reaches out with her ki a minute later and realizes she can't feel any high kis; so she hoists herself into the guest bedroom, but in the process, tracks dirt onto the white carpet and curses herself for leaving evidence of her visit.

She tiptoes through the many halls of Capsule Corp., checking each bedroom for any sign of Giru. When she gets to the living area, she sees a picture of her family and the Briefs family at the beach when she was three years old. She decides to take the picture, and while she's putting it down the back of her spandex shirt, she spots the remains of Giru under the couch.

As she's gathering his parts, she realizes the remains of her bandana are among the rubble, and she wraps it around her head. Then, the grabs a pillow case from one of the couch pillows and puts Giru's remains in there. On her way out, she realizes that she's truly the last Saiyan, and there's no way to rescue anyone anymore. Without Giru, she won't be able to find the dragonballs. Her life just seems pointless.

When she re-enters the guest bedroom, intent on flying out, she realizes with great horror that the window is closed. Someone had come in and blocked off her route of quick escape. As if on cue, she realizes that Trunks is behind her and she didn't notice him when stepping into the room. He grabs her neck and pushes her into the wall, forcing kisses on her, telling her that since he can't kill her, and he'd be a traitor to his Lord Baby if he left her go, he'd settle on "having a bit of fun" with her, just to hurt her, before turning her into a Tuffle like he.

Trunks attempts to rape her, throwing her on the bed and forcing himself upon her, but Piccolo arrives just in time to save her, blowing up a portion of the wall, startling Trunks into being distracted, so Pan is able to spit out the egg he had transferred into Pan's mouth. After being hit by Piccolo, Trunks releases his grip on Pan just long enough for her to get away from him.

Piccolo and Pan escape, and Trunks lets them go because Baby would kill Pan if he found her. When Baby arrives with Gohan and Goten, he finds out from Trunks that he had let them go, but Baby forgives him this one time, offering one last chance at proving himself, because he knows how the real Trunks puts up a fight against being controlled, and he empathizes with his Tuffle-Trunks counterpart.

Baby ends the chapter by telling Gohan that he has permission to be the one to kill Pan. Gohan is grateful for such a great honor, thinking that Baby is too good to him.

_**The Following is Rated R. Be Forewarned!**_

CHAPTER 34:  
An Unpleasant Reunion  
_(Unedited, Uncensored)_

A large parade was commencing on the main street of West City. The skies were bright and clear, and the cold of the season was beginning to lift from the world as if it were a veil, reuniting the citizens with a beautiful sunny day, the first ever since the gray skies pillowed the city with winter. An early spring was dawning on the world, and to celebrate, the launch date was moved to today, in celebration of Baby's lunaversary of taking over the world.

Balloons littered the skies, floating happily toward the Planet Tuffle, which loomed overhead like a quarter of a brilliant red sun. The people of Earth had all gathered in West City to see the marvelous exhibit – the Capsule Corp. Tuffle Line, express transit to their new home. Today, it would accept its first load of people itching to be the first to step foot on the Planet Tuffle.

Ice cream cones and cotton candy were served on the sidelines of the road as little children would tug on their mothers' and fathers' shirts for sweets and candies. Everyone had a smile on their face, beaming in joy, taken by the lights and flowers and music of the parade to commemorate Lord Baby.

The sun was shining down on the Tuffles with radiance and splendor, but in the shadows, in the darkest corners… that was where the girl escaped the eyes of the crowd. Dodging in an out of alleyways, Pan made her way as close to Capsule Corp. as she could manage.

Even if she wasn't trying to escape attention, even if everyone were normal again as of this point and laughing because Baby would have been defeated, Pan _still_ would refuse to come out of the shadows.

She looked ridiculous. After telling her Gramps her plan, he made sure to dress her up to look absolutely _nothing_ like herself, just in case she was spotted. She had to be incognito, and the best way to do it was to change her look entirely. But this… _this_ was not what she had planned. She was forced to wear makeup. Makeup! But that wasn't the worst of it. Oh no…

Apparently her Gramps had a few "leftovers" from all the women he had been courting from before Baby arrived on the scene. Little things left behind, like shirts, and skirts and… _little_ things that _nobody_ would _ever _need, right? Pan growled at the thought of little tramps pawing at her Gramps and randomly leaving what she would think as_ vital_ clothes behind. Who would walk out of a building without a shirt! _Those_ girls. Pan frowned and tried not to think of her Gramps as a lecher. But if she wasn't thinking that thought, then she was definitely thinking of how self-conscious she was in the clothes he provided for her.

If anyone thought that her shirt _before_ was short, this one – if it could even be called a shirt; it was more of a tube top – was far, far worse. It clung to her like spandex, and it itched like crazy, and it was _not_ something Pan would normally ever, _ever_ consider wearing. And, to make it worse, the _only_ thing that her Gramps had was a black mini-skirt. Possibly because most girls would need a skirt when leaving his place. Pan didn't want to know what the former owner of this skirt had been wearing when she got her one-night stand.

Pan practically knocked herself on the head, _Stupid Pan! I need to stop thinking those thoughts and focus on my task at hand_.It was hard to concentrate, though, wearing such a tiny skirt. This was more than embarrassing. This was ludicrous. This was beyond any form of humiliation she'd ever have to face, and if it weren't for this one absolutely _desperate_ measure to get Giru back, she'd have died… _DIED!…_ before wearing this!

Pan took a breath to calm herself and straightened her light blue spandex mini tube top, adjusting it so it wouldn't be as itchy. Looking up to measure the distance to the top of the wall, and then looking around to make sure nobody was coming, she jumped up, using a slight bit of ki briefly so she could reach the top of the wall. Once there, she crouched, bending her knees so nobody would be able to look up her skirt from behind – not that anyone was there, but still, Pan was self-conscious – and ran along rooftops, keeping a wary eye about her, until she reached the back entrance to the Capsule Corp. gardens.

She jumped down from the last rooftop and ducked behind a bush. Crouching as low as she could, she did a ki span of the area and took note that no strong kis were in the perimeter. She wished she was able to sense weak kis again. If any Capsule Corp. servants were dusting the residential quarters, Pan was unable to sense them. She'd have to deal with them as she went, though. Just grab Giru and head out. That's what she needed to do. But it just unnerved her that there could be some other powerful ki inside that was masking it, and she'd never know because she hadn't fine-tuned her senses. Whatever power she had access to before had been a fluke. She had not felt anything like it since, and that included the ability of sensing weak kis.

Pan hopped the gate to the grounds and climbed up the first tree, making sure that nobody was coming. It was _so_ much easier to do this in the dark. It would easier, as well, if it were raining. But it just _had_ to be sunny today. And she just had to be in these horrible slutty clothes with full make-up, as if she had just emerged from a brothel with a full purse.

_If Giru takes any pictures of me, I'm going to personally DESTROY HIM! _Pan huffed angrily at the air. No dragonballs were worth the humiliation of a candid photo of her in this outfit. Even being in the tree, she constantly found herself looking down to make sure nobody was looking _up_. She hated skirts. She hated them, she hated them, she detested them with all her hatred.

Now that she vented to herself, she still didn't feel any better about what she was wearing, but it gave her a slight boost of energy to check the grounds once more before jumping out of the tree and running to the next one.

_Why the heck are these gardens so goddarn HUGE! _Pan felt herself slipping on a branch and made a quick ki boost to help her stay within the leaves. Afraid that even a slight disturbance of ki might gain someone's attention, she hugged the branch to her tightly and scanned for any high kis.

Nothing. Phew. Pan was home-free. Just one tree to go!

Pan quickly jumped from the branches and scrambled as fast as she could up the large tree that was beside Capsule Corp. After climbing and rustling a few branches on the way up, she heard a voice from below her and froze against the trunk.

Looking down, she saw that two brunette employees wearing blue lab coats and glasses were passing by the tree, talking amongst themselves. Pan developed a cold sweat as she nervously began to tremble. She couldn't get caught now. Not after coming so close! Pan closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to relax as the women walked by, unaware of the tramp in the branches. Or at least, the girl who _looked_ like a tramp. But that didn't matter, because now she'd be able to get Giru and get out of there.

Reaching the top of the tree, Pan paused at her usual branch and, one last time, just for good measure, scanned for kis. Nothing. Pan smiled as she realized this was all too easy. She stood on a thick branch and spread her arms out to balance herself as she walked out to the end of it. It wasn't hard to decide which window to jump into. Trunks' window was closed, as usual, while the guest window was open.

However, the guest window was a good few meters away, and Pan wasn't quite sure she had the leverage with the branch. But there was nothing to lose, so she decided to try it.

Bouncing slightly to test its durability, Pan decided to jump on it like a spring to help her reach her destination. However, as her full body weight hit the branch on its last bounce, the branch snapped as she was jumping, startling Pan into making a muffled scream as she flew toward the window. She reached out with her right hand and barely caught herself on the window sill.

Pan dangled there for a moment, with eyes wide from shock, that she made such a racket, but her heart was pounding from the surprise of the branch breaking, and she forgot to do another ki scan until a minute passed and she quickly scanned her surroundings again before grabbing the sill with her left hand and hoisting herself up.

She landed with a soft thud on the guest room's white carpet. Looking down, she noticed that her sneakers – not exactly matching her outfit, but she _refused_ to wear heels – had brought some dirt to the floor. _Shit_. Pan cursed in her head, knowing that she was leaving _evidence_ for them all to find.

Lifting her head and taking a deep breath, she convinced herself that it would make no difference if there were evidence or not. By the time they'd be able to find her, she'd have all the dragonballs and be able to wish everyone back to normal! All she had to do was stick to the plan, and everything would blow over just fine.

Now, she had to find Giru.

Where would Giru be? Pan felt queasy as the most obvious location came to her – that Giru could be in Trunks' room, but she was confused, because she never saw Giru when she watched Trunks. Giru couldn't be there. Giru loved hanging around people, and she should have, at least once, noticed him hovering by Trunks, or resting on his shoulder. That is… unless something _happened_ to Giru… But why would anyone want to hurt _Giru!_ He was just a little robot… He couldn't do any harm to people. No. Giru was fine. He had to be. That thought encouraged Pan to press onward, to go deeper into Baby's abode.

Pan tiptoed to the bedroom door and opened it a crack. She was so nervous, she began to sweat, and her top began to itch again. She felt sorely uncomfortable, trying to adjust it on her for the tenth time, but nothing seemed to work. A thought came to her – that perhaps there were clothes of hers in the guest bedroom closet! Pan growled and shook her head. The whole reason why she was in this outfit in the first place was to be undercover. She would just have to suffer through it for a little bit, and then it would all be over and she'd never have to worry about it again.

Opening the door crack a tiny bit wider, Pan scanned the hall and nearby rooms for any distinguishable kis. When fairly certain that she was alone, she opened the door all the way, making sure it, as well as the window, was wide open just in case she had to make a quick getaway, and tiptoed out into the hall.

Another guest bedroom lay across from hers, so she opened its door slightly to see if any little robot were inside. There were no windows in the room, and the light was off, but she could tell Giru wasn't there. One could always tell when Giru was somewhere. He added a lot of spark to the room he was in. Or at least, he always seemed to. By the end, that was. Pan absolutely detested that robot in the beginning, but he eventually grew on her, like Trunks did after a time.

Pan closed the door and meandered through the halls, ducking into a dark room whenever she had even the slightest suspicion that someone was coming. Pan was amazed at how empty Capsule Corp was. That parade really did get everyone out of their homes. It even got servants out of their jobs for a day! It must be an official holiday, otherwise, how could it possibly get so many people out on the streets?

Well… possibly because Baby was mind-controlling everyone. But even still, he'd have had at least _one_ person stay behind to guard Capsule Corp. It just didn't make any sense. But, in any case, Pan was glad. It made her job a lot easier as she went from room to room searching for the robot.

It was strange. Capsule Corp. looked exactly the same as when she last saw it. Pan was almost sure that Baby would have wanted to redecorate the place to suit his "Tuffle" fashion, but as she was observing items in the house, it looked as if the place had not been touched in a long time. Like, _nobody_ was cleaning the place because nobody dirtied it. Dust was beginning to collect on picture frames, rooms smelled stale, as if nobody had entered them in a long time. It seemed as if Baby's minions basically pawed at him all day, went out, did work, and came back only to go to bed. Nothing else was touched.

Pan suddenly found herself in the living room area and ducked back into the hallway to make sure that nobody was there. Once again, it was completely empty. And, like all the other rooms, there was no Giru. It didn't make any sense to Pan. She shook her head and brought her eyes up when something caught her eye.

On one side of the room, behind the couch, a long brown bureau ran along the edge of the wall. There, she saw a picture that made her smile. She walked over and picked it up, looking at how young she used to be. It was a picture of her entire family, with the Briefs family, at the beach, and even Vegeta posed for the shot, licking an ice cream cone with dark shades on. She must have been three. Her Grandpa was still an adult back then, and she was on his shoulders in the shot, with the ocean in the background. It was a nice beautiful summer day. Her heart ached for the memory of it. She missed her Grandpa so much…

Quickly glancing around, Pan took the picture out of its frame and stuffed it down the back of her top. The spandex was so tight on her, it easily clung to her body, and it was more comfortable to lay it across her back than anywhere else.

While adjusting her top, her eyes traveled downward to the floor. And while lingering on the carpet, something else caught her eye. It was the couch… or rather, what lay under it. Sticking out, was a white metal rod of some sort which she didn't see before, since it was camouflage against the carpet.

She bent down and picked it up, observing it curiously. What was this? Pan leaned over and reached under the couch, gathering other white scraps that had been pushed underneath. She made a pile on the floor and blinked at how small the metal fragments were. There were wires, or what was left of wires, since everything seemed to have melted into chunks.

Pan reached out under the couch again and felt something especially odd, as if it were fabric of some sort. She pulled it out and saw that she was holding some orange fabric, tattered, with holes burnt through it.

Pan's body trembled as her eyes went wide and her mouth opened slightly, agape. The shivers that ran through her body made her fingers quake, and she dropped the remains of what she realized was her bandana. That meant… That meant… NO!

"No! No! Giru!" Pan felt her eyes cloud as she gathered the pieces in her arms. "What… what have they done to you? Oh Giru! GIRU!" Pan looked around with watery eyes for any bag she could gather him in. Seeing none, she grabbed a pillow off the sofa and unzipped it from its case. Carefully laying each of Giru's parts inside her pillow bag, she sobbed as she realized that she truly was the last one. She was the last one who would remember anything of her grand tour through space, the last one who truly knew the last Saiyans. Giru was gone…. Giru… was gone…

And so was the dragonball radar.

Pan felt any last sliver of hope inside her shrivel and die right there. Giru… Giru was her friend. And Giru… he was gone. He was gone for good, and nothing, not even dragonballs could bring him back. He never had a soul that went to the Other World. There would be no way to restore him.

Pan sobbed into her bag and felt her body tremble again. The entire wave of depression she had been fighting off for so long hit her in full force. Now what was she going to do? What was the point of living anymore? There was no way to rescue her friends now. They'd be Tuffles, serving Lord Baby, for the next millennia. Everyone born would be a Tuffle, everyone dying would be a Tuffle. All her family, all her friends… They were lost to her. Lost to her… forever.

Grabbing her tattered bandana and tying it around her head, Pan stood up and sniffled, wiping her eyes free of tears and slightly smearing her mascara. Now she had no point to her existence. The only people left were herself, her Gramps, and Majin Buu. But if her Grandpa couldn't defeat Baby, then how could Majin Buu? She couldn't help out, and Buu wasn't mad enough to actually fight anyone. She had already had a talk with Buu, a month previously, asking him to fight for them, to get Baby back for everything he did, and Buu just said that "me kill no more." So much for one of the strongest warriors being on her side.

Pan tied the pillow case so that one end formed a knot. Sighing dejectedly and making her way down the hallway, she carried the bag tenderly, holding it close as she would a baby, or in this case, a dear friend who had passed away. Sniffling in mourning, her eyes were cast downward as she thought of the terrible death Giru must have had. How could anyone do this to poor Giru?

"Don't worry, Giru, I'll give you a proper burial. I wish Trunks or Grandpa were around for it… but…" Pan continued to walk with her head held down, "I'm sorry, Giru. I'm… I'm so sorry…"

Pan entered the hall where the guest rooms and suites were. There was a door that led to a flight of stairs to her left, and those stairs led to the master bedroom which was the entire penthouse of the dome. Wiping more tears from her eyes, she sighed again and found herself by the guest bedroom door that she came from.

She entered the room with her head down and closed the door behind her with an inaudible _click_. She began to walk toward the window, but sensed something was wrong.

When she looked up, she saw, in horror, that the window… was _closed_.

Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes flew wide. A pang of fear swarmed through her as her heart began to race. What was going on? Was she discovered? Why was the window closed!

Her hair stood on end when a cold mocking voice breathed onto her hair behind her, "Oh look, the _rat_ finally crawled out from the hole."

Pan froze and panicked. Her hands began to tremble, and she clenched them tight as her stomach sank to the ground. Working up an incredible courage, she turned around slowly to face him. "Ah…" Her eyes were wide as she looked at him sneering at her, so close, it was dangerous.

Trunks roared and grabbed her neck hard as she managed a shriek, forcing her to back up against the wall. Pan trembled fully now, completely devoid of thought, panic raging inside her as she stood frozen in fear. This was not Trunks… This was the evil horrible _thing_ that was inside of him. She had to remember that. This… was _not Trunks! _

Trunks looked old and decrepit with wrinkles from frowns and knots in his brow. He looked… He looked almost empty. His eyes were wild, but they contained nothing. Pan was looking into an emptiness that used to be so full of life. That, more than anything else, terrified her the most.

"I've been thinking about you, actually," Trunks cocked his head a bit to smirk darkly at her. "I've noticed you've stopped coming around lately, which frustrates me because for a long time, I have been unable to track you down." His grin widened a bit as his fingers pressed harder against her skin, "How ironic, after all this time, you came straight to me."

Pan tried to hold back her panic as his body shifted to lean toward hers. Trunks narrowed his eyes slightly before continuing on, "I've been meaning to tell you something, ever since the little _problem_ I discovered after I tried my absolute _best _to be rid of you."

Pan tried to speak, but found herself lacking both words and air as she stared into his wild eyes, her heart mourning over how he must be suffering inside. Trembling, she reached out her right hand to touch his cheek, but he jerked his head away.

A moment passed as he looked at her, then Trunks began to shudder with rage as his lips turned to a sneer, saying a little too calmly, "I _hate _you."

Her eyes widened as she dropped her hand away. A lead weight crashed down on her heart, tearing her inside as she tried to intake a gasp, her eyes filling with tears, "Y-you... y-you hate me?"

Trunks roared and slammed his right fist into the wall by her ear with a rage in his eyes as his left hand tightened around her neck even more. Dust and debris from collapsing plaster created a cloud around them as he shouted aloud with a deepening growl, "And I _hate_… more than _anything_… how _I can't KILL YOU!_

"Wh…" Pan closed her eyes and brought her hands up to fight his hand around her throat, "Wh… what?"

He narrowed his eyes and said a little too calmly, "Every time I see you, and try to kill you, something… weird… happens to me… I feel myself losing control." He snarled, "That is _not_ good, _do you hear me!_"

Pan felt her head getting dizzy from lack of oxygen as she continued to pry at his hands. She was choking against him, and he leaned even farther into her as he said in a lower tone, "Do you know why?" He bared his teeth at her with anger lining his vision, "Do you know _why, bitch! _Do you know _why_ it's _not good!"_

Pan felt tears running down her face as she tried to shake her head, unable to breathe, yet feeling her body convulse in a sob.

His grip was firm as he spit past her face, "Because this makes you a _weakness!_" He glared down at her, forming as smirk as she tried so hard to free herself, but was losing energy at every passing moment. Pan just couldn't concentrate.

He took her silence to be an invitation to speak again, and he let the smirk vanish from his face as he became dead serious. He looked down at her and said, "I would normally never tolerate a weakness…However…"

Trunks let go of her neck and ran his fingers seductively along her shoulders as she struggled to breathe deeply, "After a great deal of consideration, I have determined that, unlike most weaknesses I need to snuff out of my life," He rested his finger on her collarbone and looked into her eyes with a small smile playing on his dark face, "I figured I could _keep_ you, as you might be more useful in fields," his eyes sparkled, "_other_ than fighting…"

Trunks suddenly pressed his body close to hers, pinning her to the wall. Pan found she couldn't move and felt another surge of fear pass through her, "What are you…" She gasped as he brought his face dangerously close to hers, and turned her face away, "Trunks, listen to me –

"–You swing by Capsule Corp. often, I have noticed, to gaze at me through the window. Am I right?" His voice lowered to a purr as his body pressed even further against hers. "So… do you like what you see?"

Pan choked, "W-what?"

He brought his lips to her ear and almost whispered, in a lulling purr, "I have noticed you, but have been unable to approach you, since Lord Baby would most likely sense both our presences in his vicinity." His hand moved down to her shoulder, and stroked her bare skin tenderly, "If he finds you, he will kill you." He brought his face back and shuddered at a thought, only to spit by her again.

Grabbing her hair, Trunks leaned in and flared anger at her with fire in his voice, "And I can't _let _him kill you, now, _can I?_ That might _upset_ the _inner demon_ inside me, as I have experienced before, when I almost put an _end_ to your _misery!_"

Pan tried to control a sob as she struggled under him. "Trunks…" She needed him so much right now. The real Trunks. She had to save him somehow. "Trunks, please… Stop this. Fight this!"

Trunks slammed his fist into the wall by her head and narrowed his eyes again, ignoring her, "So it looks like we've reached a stalemate, rat. I can't let you _go_ because I would be a traitor to Lord Baby's orders, but I can't let you _stay _or else he will kill you. So…"

He brought his face even closer to her, smirking. Pan was able to feel his breath on her face, he was so close. His voice lowered to almost a whisper, "How about we make a … sort of pact?" He grinned menacingly, "_I _let you go _if _yougive me…" He looked her up and down, taking in her outfit with greedy eyes, "Something I've been desiring…"

Pan felt her breath threaten to catch in her throat again, "What… what are you talking about?"

Trunks licked his lips with a smirk and brought his right hand down to her breasts, "You know what I want."

Pan choked a gasp and brought her hands to his, trying to stop him, "What! What are you _doing!_"

"Since I can't kill you, I might as well have my bit of _fun_, don't you think?" Trunks continued to fondle her as she tried to pry him away.

Her heart was threatening to explode in her chest. Her panic kept her frozen as she found herself helpless against him, "S-stop! St–!"

Trunks forced a hard kiss against her mouth, forcing her head back against the wall as he pressed his whole body against hers.

Pan's eyes were wide as he kissed her, "Mmh? Hmmbhm?" She struggled to pry him away from her by attempting to punch him in the side and kick him, but her leg was caught by his hand and forced aside by his knee.

His left hand wandered to her skirt and hiked it up as he proceeded to feel her underwear.

"MHBMMM!" Pan hit his back with her fists and whimpered against his face, her eyes still wide open as his fingers wandered to places they never _never_ should go. Pan felt so vulnerable, quaking in terror as she was panicking against him.

Trunks broke the kiss and cackled, throwing his head back a bit "Are you getting _excited_ yet?"

"You _bastard!_" Pan took the free space as an invitation for a comeback move, and slapped his face as hard as she could, "You'll _never_ get away with this!" With a grunt, she writhed against him, struggling to break free.

"Ahh!" Trunks smirked as he brought his hand out from her skirt to touch his cheek, "It appears the bitch has a little bite to her bark!" He cackled gleefully toward her and raised his eyebrows as he sneered, "I should enjoy this!"

He used his leg to pry her legs apart further, and brought his other leg between hers. He pressed his body fully against hers as he grabbed her hair and forced another kiss.

Holding back tears, Pan continued to struggle, but found she could barely move. He had not only pinned her against the wall, but almost every limb she could attack with was beyond his body. She tried to use her nails and scratch his neck until it would bleed, but she could hardly even give him a paper-cut. He continued to press himself against her, kissing her hard and long as she flailed under him.

Pan suddenly felt her body being slightly lifted up against the wall as she was adjusted to be resting in an _incredibly_ sexual position, still pinned by his body. Her eyes opened even wider as she screamed through his mouth, "MmmMMBHBMHH!"

Pan closed her eyes and raised her power level to try to burn him off of her, desperate to break free. If she didn't, he was going to rape her! Her best friend… was going to rape her!

Trunks broke the kiss and hissed, "You fool! Stop raising your ki! Do you want to alert the _whole planet_ that you're here right now!" Pan screamed for him to let her go and began to repeatedly hit him as she struggled for him to get off of her, but Trunks could barely feel it as a sickening thought came to him. He looked at her and narrowed his eyes, "If Lord Baby finds out you're here, you're going to _die_ and end up like your pathetic Saiyan-trash grandfather!"

"Let go of me! _Get off of me!"_

"That is…" Trunks looked up for a moment, pondering something naughty, "unless you become one of _us_." He turned to her and sneered darkly, "But _then_ where's the fun in our _pleasure?_"

Pan screamed, "You're sick!" She pounded at his chest, "You said you'd let me go!"

Trunks took the beating with a content smile and seemed to absorb all of her attacks as if she were giving him physical pleasure. "I said I'd let you go…" He grinned like a rabid hyena, "But I never said _how!_" He laughed in her face and tightened his grip around her.

He smiled at her with a raging passion in his eyes. He looked as if he was about to make a move to kiss her again, when suddenly, he stopped and his hands loosened for a moment as his gaze went blank. His pupils narrowed for a brief pause, then dilated as something seemed to cross his mind, as if he were receiving a sort of message… or sensing a movement of significant ki.

It was Trunks' turn to freeze, and it terrified Pan to see him like that. In that pause, when something passed through his mind, she thought she saw a glimpse of him, for the briefest of moments, her Trunks. Her friend that she had lost almost two and a half months ago.

It only lasted a split second, and after it passed, it was difficult to imagine that it ever happened at all. When Trunks snapped out of it, he looked at her as if seeing her for the first time, and then his eyes relaxed a bit as he smiled to her and said in a voice, almost a whisper, "So how about it, _Pan-chan?_ Become one of us, have my baby, and people will accept us – you and me." His smile became a distorted grin, "That's what you want, right? Why you keep coming to see me?"

His grip tightened around her again as he thrust his hips against hers, causing her to emit a startled and panicked whimper, "Am I right?" He snickered and stared into her eyes, as if awaiting a response.

Pan looked him in the eyes and saw the blue clearly. She had never looked into his eyes like this before, not when his face was filled with such lust and desire. His eyes, when he was himself, usually held great life and joy, with a slight touch of mischief that was held in behind a giant wall he built around himself. But this Trunks, this thing that manifested itself inside of him – its eyes were wandering, lost, completely blank and devoid of emotion. They were cold, freezing and piercing with nothing behind them except daggers of an empty soul. It was as if his body were a mere shell. Not even anger or hatred flowed in his eyes, and that was the most terrifying aspect of all.

He looked so much like Trunks, though. Pan wanted so much to be able to touch his face and hold him close, to know that he was going to be okay, but she held herself back because he was most definitely not her Trunks. He was still between her legs, his face lingering mere inches away from her own, and with a haunted look in his eye. This thing, this _Tuffle_ was possessing Trunks, and it broke her heart to know that he was suffering inside because of it. Tears lined her eyes as she shook her head, "No, that's not right. I will never join you! You're… you're not Trunks…" Pan thrust her hands at his chest and tried to push him off her again, "You could _never be Trunks!_ Get off m–!"

Trunks forced another kiss on her with both of his hands pressing her arching back toward him. This kiss was more painful than any other. There was something stinging in his kiss that sucked all the life out of her.

Pan's eyes went wide as she felt something almost metallic enter her mouth. It was cold and painful, and it soaked up all her energy as if it were a sponge. Pan wanted to spit it out, but Trunks was locked on tight, kissing her to no end, lifting her up as she helplessly clawed at him to release her.

She sensed him moving her to the bed, lying her down with him on top of her, but she couldn't concentrate on that. The freezing object in her mouth made her head ache and robbed her of all thoughts.

Pan was doing everything she could to keep the metallic thing from going down her throat. It was as if it had a life of its own, trying to pry its way through her, and Trunks was distracting her as his face pressed against hers and his hands found their way to his belt, quickly undoing it.

The cold object in her mouth grew even colder, and Pan squeezed her eyes shut, trying to concentrate on keeping the thing in her mouth and out of her throat. It took so much effort to fight the thing that she couldn't even concentrate on the fact that Trunks was struggling to remove her underwear, hiking it down somewhat as he undid his zipper.

Suddenly, without warning, an explosion erupted by the bed, blowing up an entire portion of the wall that led to an adjacent bedroom. Glass from the window shattered everywhere and debris flew up in clouds of smoke. The heat of it startled Trunks enough that he broke the kiss the looked in surprise to see who fired at them.

Pan spit out the thing in her mouth the second Trunks was distracted. A pink glob of gelatin-like substance landed on the sheets and quickly disintegrated, melting into a steamy puddle and instantaneously evaporating once it didn't have a host anymore.

Pan turned her head to look in front of her and saw that Trunks was looking beside them. Panting heavily and squirming on the bed, Pan looked over and saw a tall figure, silhouetted by the hole in the wall where the window used to be. Who the?

A low, gruff voice stated arrogantly, "Release her. This girl is of no concern to you. Your fight is with me now."

Pan's eyes opened in surprise and her mouth dropped in shock. "M…Mr. Piccolo!"

Trunks' grip on Pan tightened as his eyes narrowed toward the Namekian. "Ah, look who showed up. Last month's leftovers." He sneered at the tall green man and gestured with his head toward the door, "The kitchen is down the hall if you'd like to prepare yourself for a good fry." Trunks powered up slightly and tilted his head proudly, "I'd be honored to be the chef this evening."

Pan choked a sob back as she felt Trunks rub his hips against hers again. "Mr. Piccolo, help me! Help mmhm–!"

Trunks covered her mouth with his left hand and grinned darkly toward the Namekian, "Actually, on second thought, you came at the perfect time. You see," he snickered softly, "After sensing her energy rise, Lord Baby is heading here personally. You'd be a pleasant diversion for him while I spend some quality time with my whore!" Trunks grabbed Pan's hair and sat up in the bed, bringing his captive with him.

Piccolo stretched his arms out to great lengths and with an easy swing, knocked Trunks' arms. It was enough time for Trunks to be startled into releasing his grip for a brief moment, but all it took was a second of surprise, and Pan was quicker than lightning, jumping off the bed and dashing to hide behind Piccolo, trembling.

Trunks was infuriated and stood, pointing at Pan, "You come back here right now! I'm not finished with you."

Pan spit and gave him the middle finger to show how much she desired to be in his loving arms.

Trunks snarled as a temper overcame him. "Fine! If that's the way you want to be…" With a burst of energy, his hair turned the bright golden blonde of being Super Saiyan, "I can play cat and…" he grinned, "_rat_… with you two." His fists were clenched to his side, and his left hand was beginning to pulsate with a soft glow.

Pan could feel the surge in Trunks' energy and knew that, if Baby wasn't on his way here before, he would _definitely_ be coming now! She turned to the Namekian and tugged his sleeve desperately, "Mr. Piccolo… what do we do! What should we do!"

Piccolo looked at her a moment, and then looked to Trunks. After a brief pause, he said nonchalantly, "We run."

"What?"

Piccolo looked down at her, "Three large kis are heading over here as we speak. Don't tell me you don't feel them. They'll be on us within three minutes or less. If we both don't run, they will kill us just like they did Goku."

Pan could feel a rush of adrenalin in her when she realized Piccolo was right. They had to get out of there. But, if Trunks was not willing to let her go, it might cause problems.

Pan turned to Trunks and said in her calmest voice, "Trunks, please don't fight us. If you fight us, I'm going to die, do you understand that?"

He snapped, "I won't let you go!" His ring was beginning to pulsate slightly faster, but it was almost imperceptible to any normal eye. "You will become like me!"

Pan moved forward a bit, with her grip still on Piccolo, "Listen, Trunks, the only way I can live is if you let us go! Trunks, I _have_ to go!"

A few moments passed and Trunks began to look strained. Baby was heading even closer, and if he didn't act soon, they were going to get caught for sure. His ring pulsated even more brightly as he considered the things his Lord Baby would do to Pan, torturing her for being the last Saiyan. But if… But if he could somehow change that… Trunks sweat as his breathing became heavy, "If you… become a Tuffle… you could live and not have to run anymore!"

Piccolo growled and huffed, "Stop _stalling_!" He looked down to Pan with an impatient frown, "If Trunks follows us, then that's _his _problem. We have to escape the others!"

Trunks reached out his hand, "No! Pan, don't go!" His ring was glowing even brighter, gaining the attention of the wary Namekian briefly before Piccolo turned around and grabbed Pan by the shoulder.

Pan gave a slight nod to him before leaning down and quickly picking up her pillow bag. "Goodbye, Trunks." She looked at him one last time and thought sadly to herself, _I forgive you._

With Piccolo guarding her, they both took off through the hole in the wall, and flew past the Capsule Corp. grounds. Once free of Baby's domain, they took the ground and ran as fast as they could away from the structure and the main street where the parade was still going on.

Trunks stood there and watched them leave, feeling sick to his stomach both at the thought that he let the rat get away, and that she almost was caught by Lord Baby. He was feeling torn, and strange foreign emotions were flooding through him, which scared him, because it meant that the inner demon was fighting him again.

Realizing his pants were almost undone, his cursed the girl for leading him on and fixed himself up. He combed his fingers through his hair and straightened his shirt and bandana, prepared to look clean and fit before his master. Sensing Lord Baby approaching within thirty seconds, Trunks remembered the rat's makeup, and wiped his mouth to clear it of any lipstick. If Lord Baby knew what he almost had done…

Lord Baby landed through the hole and took several steps into the room, looking around distastefully. Behind him, Gohan and Goten arrived with scowls.

Lord Baby narrowed his eyes at Trunks and looked him up and down, "Do I dare ask?"

Seeing Lord Baby was like a pull to him, widening his eyes as he suddenly felt all thought and sense leave his body. He collapsed to his knees and bowed to his master, feeling a wave of calm sweep him as all fears and worries left him in his lord's presence. He opened his mouth to speak, but could not find the words to express the sudden love and passion he felt for his master. He would do anything for him. Lord Baby commanded him, and he was a faithful servant.

Lord Baby grabbed Trunks' hair and hoisted him to his feet as Trunks let out a whelp of surprise. His master belted him across the face, sending Trunks flying through the wall and into the hallway as rubble crashed around him. "L-Lord Baby!"

"You let them _get away!_" Lord Baby kicked him in the side and bent down to lift his head by his hair again. "You look at me! You look at me and tell me you did _everything you could_, and you even were willing to sacrifice your life to get me that last Saiyan! _You look at me and tell me that!_"

"I… I…" Trunks wanted to tell him that he did, but he could not lie. Not to Lord Baby. Even if it killed him, he would never lie to his master. "No," Trunks looked down shamefully, "I let them get away."

"Get up." Baby's usual high pitched voice was lowered drastically as he narrowed his eyes to his current son. He watched Trunks get to his feet and sneered slightly as he brought his face closer to Trunks'. "Just tell me one thing, my Tuffle minion." He reached his finger out and took Trunks under the chin, lifting his face up to look him in the eye, "When you let her get away, was it because _you_ wanted her to be safe? Or because the _thing inside you_ wanted her alive?"

"The… the thing inside me... I… I can't control it when around her…" Trunks brought his hands to his stomach as if he could somehow feel the parasite thing inside of him, wishing that he could do something about it, to keep it at bay.

Lord Baby stepped back and crossed his arms pensively, "Then I will let you go, this _one time_, got it? I know how your alter ego has tried to fight me before. I'm quite impressed that you are able to keep him at bay the way you do." Baby narrowed his eyes, "However, if this _ever_ happens again, I will make sure you endure the same ending as the little Saiyan brat! Got that?"

"I understand perfectly, Lord Baby. Thank you. I won't let you down again." Trunks bowed deeply to his master, trembling from gratefulness that his Lord Baby had forgiven him.

Baby turned around to face his other two Tuffle followers with his arms still crossed before him, "It doesn't matter that they got away. They are just weaklings" He glared at Gohan and Goten as he thought of how much he detested that Saiyan, but she would never be able to challenge him. Whoever was with her also had a much smaller ki than his own. "We will uproot the weeds soon. Don't worry, they are no threat to us." He smirked back at Trunks and then looked to his other two followers again, "For now, let's concentrate on getting the Tuffles back to our home planet. If the brat ever decides to show her face again," Baby nodded to Gohan, "You may do the honors, seeing as you gave the brat her pathetic little life, you can take it away."

Gohan's eyes brightened as he clutched his heart with a delighted sigh, "Oh thank you! Thank you, Lord Baby! I would be honored, with all my gratitude, to finish off the last of the Saiyans!" He fell to knees and bowed deeply to his master, "You are too good to me, Lord Baby."

Baby smirked slightly, "I know, Gohan. I know."

––––––––

––––––––

-_12/18/04_-


	35. Flshbk1: The Story of Piccolo

Yes, this scene happened in GT. I'm telling this so people gain a new appreciation for this particular event, since some things were really hard to spot in the episode, but I wanted to make clear to people, so people notice things when they see this episode of GT again. **This is a _flashback_**. These events occur the same time that Pan is celebrating her birthday all the way across the galaxy/universe.

_This chapter and the next are meant to explain what has happened with Piccolo this entire time._ This chapter is directly based on an interpretation of a GT episode. The next chapter is my own.

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CHAPTER 35:  
_Flashback #1:  
_Gohan Falls (The Story of Piccolo)

Piccolo watched the fight from a distance, frowning thoughtfully as the two demi-Saiyans fought with unrelenting power. He could feel Goten's ki almost distorted as Gohan desperately tried to reason with his brother. Piccolo knew it already was too late for Goten, and he knew that Gohan was next, but before he could jump in, he had to know what this thing controlling Goten actually wanted with them. What were the parasite's intentions? What was he aiming for? The fact that Goten was stalling immediately set off alarms in Piccolo's mind that this entire battle was a trap of some sort, and he could only hope that Gohan was able foresee it.

Goten had gone blonde early on in the battle, and Gohan's hair was still dark. Piccolo understood that Gohan was a Mystic Saiyan, and had been ever since he was a teenager, so the Namekian did not question why Gohan never transformed… that is, until he realized that Gohan's power was incredibly low compared to Goten's. Gohan was holding back a great deal, most likely from the fear that he could kill his baby brother.

Piccolo grunted and frowned more deeply at the thought. He thought he taught Gohan better than that. Obviously the parasite using Goten as a host had no intentions of killing off the body yet. If it did, it would not have had Goten survive this long. The parasite's intentions were not to claim Goten, but rather, Gohan. And until achieving Gohan, that parasite was not going to risk Goten's life. Obviously, since it attacked Goten first, the parasite was not strong enough to fight Gohan in its original form. The thing was just playing mind games on Gohan. And Piccolo was disappointed in the kid. Gohan should have known better than to fall for the parasite's trick.

But _what_ was the trick? There obviously had to be one, for the battle to last this long but for no reason backing it up. There was a twist here, and Piccolo feared that Gohan might be susceptible to the parasite potentially, but hadn't given the thing the opportunity it desired yet.

If the parasite intended for Gohan to transform before claiming his body, the thing would be in for a very unfortunate surprise. Piccolo smirked slightly at this. Obviously, the parasite had never heard of Mystic powers. Piccolo couldn't blame it, though. Kami, himself, had never known of the powers either. When the Ancient Kai was sealed away in the Z-Sword so long ago, that entire legend was sealed away with him.

The fight began to get more intense. The possessed Goten began to show signs of impatience. His swings at Gohan were getting sloppy, his shouts were failing to intimidate the older Saiyan. Suddenly, Goten stopped, and Gohan did too. Piccolo adjusted his ears slightly to be able to catch the conversation, but it was too low for him to hear. Because he didn't want to be spotted, he had hidden in the mountains, waiting until Gohan was in serious danger before willing to jump in. He still didn't know what the parasite's intentions were, and the battle hadn't seemed to be life-threatening to either of them yet.

Goten shouted something, but his voice was muffled by the high-pitched drone of ki that began to erupt from him. Goten began to scream and his ki expanded from him like a giant bomb of energy, growing with every second.

Piccolo's eyes widened as he saw what was happening. He had seen this before, twenty years ago, when Vegeta pulled a very similar move against Majin Buu. He growled and tensed, unsure of what to do, suddenly fearing something horrible was going to happen to Goten if he didn't stop powering up like that.

Obviously, Gohan was afraid for his brother as well. His voice shouted over the rising ki, "Goten, stop this! _STOP THIS!_ You're going to kill us all!"

Gohan was caught on the ball of ki which was continuing to expand, trying to push it back and speak to Goten at the same time. That was enough for Piccolo. It was time that he intervened. Gohan still wasn't powering up enough, and Goten was going to die if Piccolo didn't somehow find a way to stop him.

Piccolo flew as fast as he could toward the battle, and was almost there before Gohan suddenly spiked his ki and right before Piccolo's eyes, he turned blonde. BLONDE! Piccolo's eyes flew wide and his breath caught as his mind raced in confusion. That wasn't supposed to happen! What was wrong with Gohan? He should have still had black hair at this point.

Gohan's ki rose even higher, and Piccolo recognized his second transformation. Blue sparks flew from Gohan as he tried to push the ball of ki back, even though his body was worn from the battle with Goten before. Gohan's ki was far higher than Piccolo's at this point. While Piccolo had reached a plateau after fusing with Kami before the Cell Games, Gohan had still been able to attain higher levels of power. If Gohan wasn't able to push the ki back toward Goten, then Piccolo would not be able to help. He'd just be getting in the way, and they all would die if Goten decided to trigger it.

Piccolo landed right by the battle, hiding in a gorge to observe the final moments of the fight. With Gohan as SSJ2, the battle would soon be over. Goten, even possessed by some being, wouldn't be able to handle that. Gohan had over twice as much power as Goten by this point, even though he would have had even more if he still had his Mystic transformation.

The moment Piccolo landed and raised his eyes to watch the fight, something strange happened. It would have been impossible to spot if he hadn't trained his eyes to see things that passed nearly the speed of light. A silver substance erupted from Goten's body and shot out through the dome of ki to envelop a startled Gohan. The metallic substance wrapped around him as he screamed in shock, and entered his body through every one of his wounds and pores, choking him as it went down his throat, immobilizing him as he lost control of his body.

Piccolo had no time to think. He had to save Goten. Throwing up a ki barrier, Piccolo thrust himself into the untriggered attack almost as fast as the silver liquid expelled itself from Goten's body.

Everything happened at once. While Gohan was becoming enveloped in the silver liquid, Piccolo dodged into the ki bomb, and Goten suddenly snapped out of it, long enough to realize with terror that he was emitting such a large attack, it was draining his own life. In a panic, he cut off the source of power from the bomb, but in the process, triggered it to explode.

A body jumped on his and brought him to the ground, sheltering him as the unstable ki ignited and in a gigantic nuclear explosion, blew away the entire mountain range around them. Rocks and debris fell like a meteor shower as the energy swept a thousand miles in every direction, shaking the entire planet in the process.

When it was over, Piccolo lay over Goten, panting, and painfully sat up to look at Gohan. He was still in the air, observing his hands with a smirk as he opened and closed them before his eyes. Piccolo looked down to Goten and saw that the poor kid was convulsing while unconscious. At least Goten didn't have that thing inside him anymore, whatever it was. Piccolo picked up Goten under his left arm and stood to face Gohan, who had suddenly erupted in triumphant laughter.

Piccolo bared his fangs and shouted, "You are a parasite! What do you want? Who are you?!"

Gohan snickered and turned in the air to face his new opponent feeling a revived energy within himself. "I have come to get revenge on all Saiyans!" His laughter began to become high pitched as he pointed to Piccolo with two fingers extended, "Two down! I think I'm making good progress, don't you think?"

Piccolo's grip on Goten tightened protectively, "You get out of Gohan's body and face me as your true form! Or are you _too scared_?!"

Gohan threw back his head and cackled gleefully, bringing his hands to his belly as if that were the funniest thing he had ever heard, "You fool!" Gohan snickered wildly, "I'm sorry, _insect_, but you're going to have to wait. I have _other_ priorities on my list."

Piccolo growled and shook his fist at Gohan, "You come down here and fight me _right now!_ I will put an end to you once and for all!"

Gohan sneered, "Well, if _that's_ the way you want to be, then… let me try out a nice family tradition." He brought his hands together and chanted excitedly, "Ka…me…"

Piccolo's eyes widened as he felt the surge of power being accumulated at a single point. His brow ridge lowered as his antennae tensed. Gohan had never used a Kamehameha against him before, but he knew what it felt like from the past, with Goku, and it was _not_ something he wanted to experience again.

"Ha…me…"

But it wasn't for his sake that he was concerned. He adjusted Goten in his arm, thinking of how weak the kid was, losing most of his energy like that. It was a wonder that he was even still alive.

"HAAAA!!!"

Piccolo raised his ki as high as he possibly could as he turned to shield Goten from the blast. The heat from it was incredible, and he felt his body being ripped apart. He could feel Goten being torn from him, but gripped tighter, as tight as he could to save the kid. It was as if his entire essence, his whole being was being swallowed by energy, wanting to become energy, to be absorbed by the never-ending blast. His entire soul was being shredded by the heat as he could feel his power being absorbed in the blast.

Piccolo lost his footing and went flying through the gorge as his body traveled with the attack, threatening to break apart with the beams. Weakened and worn, Piccolo felt his grip loosen and fail as Goten was almost swept from his arms. _No!_ Piccolo had to endure the blast for Goten's sake, and put everything he had, even his own life energy on the line as he tried to shield them from the incredible power of a Super Saiyan 2 Kamehameha. This was the same Kamehameha that destroyed Cell. Piccolo brought Goten back down to the ground and covered his body, taking the blast in full.

Then, suddenly, it was over. All the heat vanished as if it never existed at all. Baby laughed maniacally from the sky and did a ki scan of the area to make sure the Namekian was finished. Sensing nothing, Baby smirked with a huff of pride and flew off to Capsule Corp. to await his second to final confrontation. After attaining Vegeta's body, with the help of Gohan and Trunks, Goku would never be able to stand a chance.

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The pain was incredible. He found himself drifting in and out of consciousness, feeling weak and battered. His entire body was numb from the burns of the blast, but he could feel himself regenerating, and as each successive minute passed, his body began to feel stronger and healthier again.

Piccolo sat up in a daze bringing his hand to his head as if he could somehow stop the splitting headache that erupted inside his skull. His entire body was sore, and even breathing caused his lungs to sting inside him.

He looked down to the body beside him and felt a pang of worry. He leaned toward Goten and turned him over to look at the kid's face. He almost seemed to be sleeping peacefully, except his body was still twitching as if undergoing a slight seizure. Piccolo brought his hand to Goten's forehead, understanding how some humans developed fevers, and confirmed that Goten was extremely hot.

Piccolo shook Goten's shoulders slightly, "Hey kid, wake up."

Goten moaned and turned his head to the side, coughing slightly.

Piccolo shook him harder, "Goten! You need to wake up and tell me what's happening! Goten!"

Goten groaned as his eyes fluttered, "No… Valese… Valese, no… Get away… stop… don't hurt…"

"Valese?" Piccolo frowned, "Is that the thing's name? Valese?"

"Valese…" Goten sighed and was still except for his twitching hands.

"Alright, listen to me, kid. I don't know if you can hear me or not." Piccolo did his best to stand up straight and weakly dusted himself off, "That parasite Valese has possessed your brother and he seems to have something else up his sleeve." Piccolo leaned down and picked up Goten as gingerly as he could, taking him under his left arm again. "And I still don't know what he's after."

Piccolo took to the air and headed toward Capsule Corp, where he knew Chi Chi was conversing with Bulma. He would have to race Valese there, since he could sense that his former pupil and best friend's body was also heading in that general direction, but making slight detours as if searching for something.

"Revenge on the Saiyans, huh?" Piccolo shook his head in confusion, "I thought we took care of all of Frieza's family and followers years ago. I wonder why they sent a parasite to Earth _now_ of all times."

Piccolo flew faster when he realized it was possibly because Goku was out of town. Piccolo cursed him for leaving, and at the same time cursed himself for not remembering to destroy the black star dragonballs once Dende adopted his red star creations.

He didn't even know why he created the black star dragonballs in the first place. _Ahh, I remember_, Piccolo smirked to himself as he adjusted Goten in his arms. The black star dragonballs were the first ones he made, as a trial experiment, before he had separated into Kami and Piccolo, back in the day. He had kept them because he might had liked to use them on a rainy day. At the time, he was not aware that they would destroy the Earth if used, but even after he gained knowledge of black star dragonballs through Nail, once he fused with the other Namekian, he had forgotten about them once they returned to Earth. A lot of other things had been on his mind, and taking care of a past alpha test of dragonballs was definitely not on his list of priorities.

And now he and the rest of the world were paying dearly for his mistake. It was all his fault for forgetting about them. And now, because of him, Goku was a kid, and gone, and Gohan was possessed by some evil parasite named Valese.

Gohan was stronger than Vegeta. If Vegeta fought him, he'd have a tough time, but hopefully Gohan might be able to hold back somewhat so the Saiyan Prince could teach Valese a lesson or two. But if Gohan didn't hold back, that would lead to a great deal of trouble.

Piccolo knew what he had to do. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and, being the only powerful Z fighter that was still training other than Vegeta, and knowing that he was not powerful enough to defeat Gohan, he would have to take a trip to the Other World and train. But this time, it would not involve studying under King Kai. He needed someone stronger.

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Piccolo landed at Capsule Corp. and ran up the flight of stairs to the residence area. He had to be quick about this if he wanted to beat Valese to the punch.

He rang the doorbell and tapped his foot impatiently while waiting for someone to answer the door. It slowly opened and Bulma stood at the threshold, blinking in surprise.

"Oh hello Piccolo! Wow, it's great to see you! It's been so long!" Bulma smiled at him and then her eyes glanced down to what he was holding, "Oh no!" Bulma brought her hands to her face, "Did Gohan do that to Goten?! Oh, Chi Chi! Chi Chi, look!"

"What?! Where is he?!" Chi Chi stomped toward the door, "I'm going to teach him a lesson if Gohan didn't knock some sense into that boy!!" Chi Chi stood beside Bulma and raised her finger to lecture Goten, but dropped her hand and her eyes widened, "Oh no! Oh my baby!" Her eyes watered as she stood there, her heart wrenching inside.

Piccolo growled, "Listen, we don't have _time_ for this." He stepped into the living quarters and lay Goten on the couch, "You two have to get out of here. _NOW_."

"Huh?" Bulma blinked and looked toward her daughter who had stepped into the room at the sound of a visitor.

"Who is… Oh, hi, Piccolo." Bra looked to him and to Chi Chi, who ran up to Goten and began fanning him, checking his forehead for a temperature.

Piccolo scowled, "I am only going to say this once. Get out of here. Stay away from Gohan. Something is very wrong with him."

"But you can't mean!" Bulma frowned and approached Piccolo, "Listen, I know that he beat Goten up, but –"

"Fine. Do what you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

Instead of leaving through the door, Piccolo opened a window and flew out, landing in gardens and taking to a run.

Bulma watched him go with a quizzical look upon her face. _That was strange_. Bulma shook her head and looked again to Goten. Chi Chi was pawing over him, crying as if she somehow had been the one to do this to him.

"Oh Goten… Goten! Oh, Mommy's here, Goten!"

"Bra," Bulma looked to her daughter, who was just standing there, "Go get a thermometer for Goten. I'll wet some washcloths to put on his forehead." Bulma walked over to Chi Chi and put her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. I've seen Goku a lot worse."

Chi Chi sobbed to herself, "I can't believe Gohan did this to his brother. When he gets back here, I'm going to make him regret it!! Do you hear me!! He's going to _REGRET IT!_"

Gohan-Baby strolled through the door nonchalantly without knocking. He saw Chi Chi and Bulma leaning over someone, and walked forward to see. When he saw Goten's face, Baby did a double-take, "How! How did _he _get here?"

Chi Chi turned with a red face and tears in her eyes, "_GOHAN!!!"_

Baby felt a swarm of fear sweep his body. It was a very similar reaction to what he had experienced when inside Goten's. Baby forced the feeling down and scowled, trying to show this woman who was the more powerful of the two. "Did Piccolo come by here?"

"_Piccolo?!_" Chi Chi stood and fumed, "Who gives a damn about _Piccolo_ when you almost killed Goten! Gohan, are you _listening to me?!_"

Baby was going to bare his teeth at her and teach her a lesson, but decided against it, realizing he still needed to play it low key until he attained Vegeta.

What would Gohan say in this situation? Baby tried to think hard and deeply concerning this situation. "Goten was asking for it. You, uh, you saw how violent he was before."

"Yes, but that's no reason to –!!"

Baby cut her off with a pretended afterthought, "Where's Videl?"

Bulma walked up to him with her hands on her hips, "She went out for a little bit. She'll be back soon." She smiled slightly, "Why don't you take a seat and relax, Gohan? Don't worry, we'll take care of your brother."

Baby sat at the nearest table and drummed his fingers against the wood. Piccolo survived that attack somehow, and he brought Goten back before he arrived. That meant the Namekian was still somewhere close by.

Baby huffed to himself. The Namekian was no problem for him. He was an easy kill. Next time, though, he'd have to be less sloppy and make sure the job was finished. He could easily be on his way right now to warn Vegeta. But, then again, that was impossible, because the Prince was masking his ki.

The second Vegeta spiked his ki for any reason, though, Baby would be on his tail. All he had to do was wait… and what better place to be than in the enemy's own home.

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-_12/20/04_-

Note, and this is important: As I said beforehand, _this chapter is a flashback that not only explains what happened with Piccolo, but this scene, especially the part about Piccolo and Goten (how Gohan throws a Kamehameha at Piccolo while he's holding Goten), actually happened in GT. It's hard to see it in the episode, but if you watch closely, Piccolo IS holding Goten under his left arm. Just so people know, I didn't really make anything up this chapter. I'm just giving people a new interpretation of what actually DID happen._

Note 2: "Valese" is actually Goten's semi-girlfriend (but only Goten calls her Valese. Everyone else knows her as Paris).


	36. Flshbk2: The Other World

CHAPTER 36:  
_Flashback #2:  
_The Other World (The Story of Piccolo Cont.)

Piccolo ran away from Capsule Corp. as he sensed that Valese was coming within the vicinity. The last thing he wanted to do was start a scene and cause casualties. And, if he got into a confrontation at this point, he would not be able to survive long. His body may have regenerated, but his power was still incredibly low. He'd have to make a good distance between himself and Capsule Corp. if he wanted to do what he was hoping to do. He would barely have enough power to make the leap, but if it got him to where he wanted to go, then he'd have gotten the second hardest job done.

Piccolo stopped at the edge of the city and leaned over, panting. He was not used to running. Most of his training was meditative and dealt a lot with manipulating ki and multiple attacks. His offense was more centralized on his arms if anything. He would have to take note to run long distances more often. If his plan fell through, he'd have to get used to escaping and rethinking his strategies.

He pressed himself against the back wall of a building and did a quick ki scan of the surrounding area to see if the parasite-infected Gohan had somehow followed him. Piccolo felt bad about leaving Goten in Chi Chi's care, knowing that the parasite was going to arrive and find the kid, but it was the safest place for Goten to be at this point. While the women were around, the parasite wouldn't dare make a scene. No, not until he found Vegeta. Otherwise, he, as Goten, would have made a scene before, not caring that there would be casualties in West City.

But the fact that the parasite cared to spare peoples' lives also seemed slightly odd to Piccolo. If the thing were sent from one of Frieza's last followers, it should not have cared to spare people. Things weren't adding up in Piccolo's head.

Realizing that he was a safe distance away from Gohan's distorted ki, Piccolo snarled a slight frown. _Don't worry, kid. I'll find a way to rescue you._ In order to do that, though, he would have to train. And in order to train, he'd have to face the number one problem: talking King Yemma into getting him a ticket to the Planet of the Kais.

Piccolo closed his eyes and brought his left hand to his face, placing two fingers on his forehead. This was a lot easier to do when he was just Kami and had a pure heart, but when he and Kami merged into who he was now, this process became a lot more draining.

Concentrating and focusing what was left of his power, Piccolo held his breath and thought of the one place his teleportation allowed him to go:

The end of Snake Way.

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Piccolo phased into existence at the end of the road and quickly lost his balance, falling down backwards. The wall he had been leaning on before had vanished and it startled him slightly that he had ended up on the tiles of the road. So much for a grand entrance.

Piccolo stood up and straightened his cape, frowning ahead of him. There was a long line of tiny cloud-like forms that were jabbering among themselves as they waited patiently for their trial. Piccolo looked over his shoulder and saw that several clouds had appeared out of nowhere and had begun to wait behind him.

He sighed as he waited his place in line, adjusting his hat so his antennae rested more comfortably underneath. The line was slow and tedious, but Piccolo knew the consequences of skipping ahead of people, so he had to endure the wait by tapping his foot and trying to piece together the parasites enigmatic plan from what Piccolo had observed.

As time passed, Piccolo began to move down the line quickly and was nearing the end of it. The clouds in front of him continued to babble on in their esoteric language and Piccolo found himself daydreaming to pass the time. His thoughts lied with Namek and thinking of Guru and all of his friends back on the planet. Those thoughts were derived from Nail's memories, but Piccolo remembered them as if they were his own. One side-effect of fusing with two other Namekians was that Piccolo, the final result, found it hard to differentiate between memories sometimes.

A blue demon man with black-rimmed glasses began walking down the line with a little checklist, shouting out in a nasalized voice, "Okay you all! Stand straight in line and count off! Say your number, say your name!"

The clouds blipped in a code as they counted off. Piccolo kept the numbers in his head as they reached him. When he spoke, he grumbled, "Fifteen; Piccolo."

The blue demon blinked and ruffled through his papers, "Ah, sir, I'm sorry, but could you repeat that name again?"

The Namekian huffed and crossed his arms, "Piccolo."

"I'm sorry, sir, but you're not here on our death list. Perhaps you died before your time?"

"No," Piccolo shook his head, "I'm not dead."

"WHAT?" The nasal demon raised his eyebrows and pushed back his glasses. "Oh, I see. You're a Guardian of a planet wishing to speak with Yemma?"

"Former Guardian," Piccolo corrected and nodded.

"Well then what are you doing in _this _line?" The demon pointed his pencil ahead to another door with two people waiting patiently, "_That_ line is for Guardians. We opened it up a fifth of an era ago. You should have gotten the _memo_."

"Eh," Piccolo shook his head and just walked over to the other line. He hated this process. Trying to speak with King Yemma personally had never been Kami's favorite thing to do. Besides being greatly intimidated by him, which hurt Piccolo's pride to know that it might rub off on him, Kami had always turned to rubber around the giant.

Another blue demon with three horns on his head and a skinny twig of a body greeted him as he stepped in line. "Welcome to the Guardian line! Would you like to order a cappuccino while you wait?"

Piccolo raised his brow ridge and blinked before huffing and looking away, "No thanks."

"How about a nice coffee? That goes very well with our biscottis, which I highly recommend!"

Piccolo grunted, "Lay off."

"Well aren't you feisty!" The demon grinned toothily, "The wait for King Yemma is currently two minutes and seventy-four seconds! If you need anything, just gimme a holler!" The demon winked at him and went inside the doorway.

Piccolo huffed and crossed his arms, waiting patiently. A small orange man stood in front of him, with blue scales trimming his neck and shoulders. He turned around to face Piccolo with a hearty smile, "Has your planet become infested with alien locusts, too?"

"Alien locusts?" Piccolo raised high right brow ridge nonchalantly, "No. We've been encountering alien parasites."

The orange man pursed his orange lips as his face scrunched, "Ohhh, nasty things those are! We had a case of alien parasites three eras ago. Nasty things, they are. Nasty!"

The blue cappuccino demon smiled happily and waved, "Next!"

The orange man bowed to Piccolo, "Well it was nice meeting you. I hope your parasite problem clears up. Nasty thing, that is. Yes, yes, very nasty."

Piccolo growled as the short alien man walked through the doors. It was good that the Guardian left when he did, or else Piccolo was going to do something nasty to _him_. What an annoying Guardian.

Piccolo looked behind him and saw he was the only person standing in his line. The line he had been in before was moving steadily along. If Piccolo had stuck to the other line, he'd have been in there already. It's not like Piccolo had all year to just idly wait tapping his foot.

Before Piccolo lost his cool, however, the door opened again and the happy blue demon man stepped out. "Alright, Precious! You're next."

Piccolo felt his nose turn a shade of pink and only grunted a reply as he walked passed the demon. If he weren't in front of King Yemma at the time, he would have done a number on that demon man for saying that to him. But he had to watch himself here. Any wrong move, and he could be damned to live in HFIL for eternity.

Piccolo walked into a large room with a giant desk and an even more gigantic man sitting behind it. The second that Piccolo got a look at him, he felt his knees weaken and begin to shake. Small beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as his heart began to race against his will.

"Ah! So… _Kamicolo_, is it?" The booming voice reverberated in the room, and Piccolo felt the bass of it hit his chest with vibrations.

Piccolo coughed and bowed again, respectfully, "Just Piccolo will do."

"I was wondering what happened to Kami from Earth. I haven't seen him in a long time. I see you fused with him. It's nice to see you again, Kamicolo. What seems to be the problem?"

Piccolo hesitated and tried to wet his mouth before proceeding, "I have a favor to ask of you, King Yemma."

"Oh?" The giant leaned back in his chair and brought his pen to his mouth, "A favor? Whatever for?"

Piccolo breathed a bit and tried to ignore the queasy feeling in his stomach as he bowed more deeply, "I need a pass to travel to the Planet of the Kais."

"HAH!" King Yemma scoffed and dropped his pen as he began laughing, "A pass to the Planet of the Kais? Are you sure you are _well_, Kamicolo?"

"Piccolo. And yes, I am. It is very important that I see Ancient Kai."

King Yemma chortled slightly and shook his head, "Are you aware that the Supreme Kai is currently residing there?" King Yemma leaned forward and pointed to Piccolo, "You're asking for something not even _I_ have the ability to grant."

Piccolo stiffened, "Then how am I supposed to get there?"

King Yemma chortled again, "It's by invitation only, Kamicolo, but I'll see what I can do." King Yemma tapped his pen on his desk as his gaze traveled upward, "I guess I could grant you a pass to the Grand Kai's planet while you wait. But I'm not sure how long the process will take, Kamicolo. I take it you wish to train?"

"Yes." Piccolo nodded respectfully.

"You know, Kamicolo, it is against my rules to allow any living being beyond this point. I want you to remember that." King Yemma looked at him, "This is the most of a favor that I can grant you at this point. Consider it a small payback for saving the Earth so many times. You've spared me a great deal of paperwork."

Piccolo smirked slightly, "Yeah, no problem."

King Yemma stamped a document and put it in his book. "This favor goes on your record, though. Expect no more favors from me." King Yemma adjusted his hat as he looked down to his book, "And it might take a while to get word to the Supreme Kai that you request his attention." He took out some papers which were microscopic for him, and gave them to a demon assistant, who handed them to Piccolo. "One of those papers is the pass you'll need. The rest are some paperwork you need to fill out. Consider it an application to meet him. Get it in whenever possible. You're excused." King Yemma then hit his gavel against the desk and looked up to the doors, "NEXT!"

----------

Almost a month later, Piccolo had still not received any word from the Supreme Kai. He was beyond impatient by this point. He could not help but feel a dark and ominous veil over him, as if he could sense the evil that had blanketed the world during his absence.

The only thing keeping him in the Other World was the training he was receiving here. Although his power had reached a plateau many years ago, he was learning new techniques and fighting styles that seemed interesting enough to stay and take note of. It didn't really improve his fight, but it added a bit of variety that would make himself harder to predict.

There were three things that constituted proper battle technique. One, the most principle one, was concentration on the task. That included clearing one's head and acting out of instinct and automatic reflexes rather than relying on conflicting thoughts. The Second was physical training. Without power behind the blow, the attack would not be successful. The best defense was an offense, and when in a sticky situation, sometimes a life depended on the strength behind a fist. The Third was variety. If the enemy ever learned to predict his opponent's moves, then any concentration or training meant nothing in the end. It gave an advantage to the enemy, and that power over battle was something that Piccolo refused to ever relinquish.

Piccolo sighed in the tree's shade and closed his mind, trying to empty his mind of thoughts. He let all his cares slip away as he fell into a state of Ohm, the chant droning in his ears as all other sounds became like the wind, a gentle breeze blowing by. His emotions became like the sea, his feelings became the sky. He expanded his mind, and became the world he created. His essence was round, like a never-ending, infinite journey–

"–Excuse me, sir. Might you be Kamicolo?"

Piccolo opened one eye to peer out at the blue demon who disturbed his meditation, "_One_ person calls me that, but yeah. Why?"

"I have a letter for you. I'm sorry to have disturbed your slumber, but it's sealed as if it's pretty important, and –"

"–Give me that!" Piccolo leaned forward and grabbed the envelope from the demon's hands. "Thanks. Now scram."

"Yes sir! I mean, alright sir!" The demon scuttled away, leaving Piccolo with his white envelope with the Supreme Kai's seal.

Piccolo eyed the envelope carefully before grunting, "This had better be good news." He tore open the envelope and unfolded a very short letter. His eyes narrowed as he read the fine print on the page.

_To Kamicolo, Regarding your Application to Appear Before the Supreme Kai:_

_Your case has been thoroughly evaluated, and congratulations! You have been selected as one of few to ever appear before the Supreme Kai and Ancient Kai. Your invitation to the Planet of the Kais begins immediately and becomes void after one use. Please take this form to the appropriate transportation locale and make any preparations necessary for the trip._

_This paper is also redeemable for one complimentary cappuccino at the nearest beverage outlet. We hope you have a nice journey. -- The Yemma Team_

Piccolo smirked at the letter and let out a relieved sigh he had been holding in since he arrived on the planet. He stood up and dusted the grass off of his cape. Finally, he'd be able to speak to the Supreme Kai and Ancient Kai about the Mystic powers on his mind. If Gohan's powers expired on him, then perhaps Piccolo might be able to convince the Ancient Kai to grant him powers needed to save the world from Valese.

Almost a month had passed here, meaning that Earth had endured _two months_ of that parasite's reign. It made Piccolo extremely upset to know that his planet was undergoing something he had not been able to thwart. With the help of the Kais, however, he might be able to change that.

----------

----------

-_12/22/04_-

Note: After this, I intend to post one more chapter, and then I'm going to vanish for a week because I'm heading off to Jamaica. However, when there, I hope to write another chapter, at least.

After I finish Piccolo's background story, I'll be jumping into the main story again, don't worry. A lot happened with Piccolo, however, which I felt uncomfortable telling mainly through conversation.


	37. Flshbk3: Learning of the Mystic Powers

CHAPTER 37:  
_Flashback #3:  
_Learning of the Mystic Powers

Piccolo stepped off the transportation plane with great reluctance. On the way to the Supreme Kai's planet, it suddenly hit him full force, like it did twenty years before, how he was going to be presenting himself in front of the _Supreme_ Kai. If he had considered his knees like gelatin before, that was _nothing_ compared to the anxiety he was feeling now.

The planet's gravity was intense, but Piccolo's body endured it well, even through his nervous streak. As he stepped away from the vehicle, the ship lifted off and departed, stranding him on the Planet of the Kais, the home to the Supreme Kai and Ancient Kai.

Piccolo looked around for a moment, suddenly realizing that he was alone in the middle of a grassy field with several scattered trees, craters, and hills around him. The sky above him was clear and bright, with scattered clouds and various moons, and as he looked down, he realized he did not cast a shadow. All Kai planets were like this – similar to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber – without a definite source of light, since neither stars nor night existed in the Other World.

He was puzzled that the planet was so plain. Considering the Supreme Kai and Ancient Kai were the most respected beings in all dimensions, there should have been shrines or palaces, or a grand kingdom present, similar to how the Grand Kai arranged his own planet.

Piccolo looked around again, and then figured he must be on the wrong side of the planet. All the civilization must be a great distance away, but he opted against exploring. He felt awkward about leaving his spot to find the Kais because it wasn't just anyone he was dealing with. These two were not only intensely more politically powerful than he, but the Supreme Kai, compared to the Grand Kai, was like an emperor to a serf. And Piccolo would perhaps be the ant that scuttled around beneath then.

A lively breeze ruffled his cape as Piccolo shifted his stance. He decided that he would just wait until one of the highest beings in all dimensions decided to note that he was present. He dared not venture forth and stumble across them in an unprofessional manner.

Piccolo sat down and crossed his legs. He rested his elbows on his knees and closed his eyes, relaxing his body and submitting himself to the Ohm. He took a deep breath and released it, focusing on the center of his ki. Slowly, he pushed downward with his ki and felt his body levitate upwards. He held that position for several minutes, trying to clear his mind. However, right before submitting his mind to meditation, Piccolo was jerked alert by a scratchy old voice.

"Ahhhh!!! There you are!!! We've been looking everywhere for you!"

Piccolo's eyes shot open as he saw an old purple man begin to wobble toward him from over one hill. His mind raced as he tried to ponder who that could be. A messenger of some sort? He couldn't be. Why would the Supreme Kai hire someone so old to fetch him?

Piccolo looked closer and saw that two yellow earring balls dangled from the purple man's long pointed ears and a little white mustache grew above his upper lip. He was wearing a Kai's outfit, of mostly blues and purples fluffing out from his body, trimmed with red. Above his head floated a pale translucent halo.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed as he tried to contemplate the new visitor. So, was this person a Kai? Would that make this old figure the Ancient Kai? It couldn't be. The Ancient Kai would never hobble over to greet a guest! He was the second most respected figure in all dimensions!

Piccolo's eyes widened as he remembered Gohan's description of the elder Kai. He felt his eyes somewhat bug out form his body as his heart did a flip. His shock sent a burst of unsuspected ki from his body and he lost control of his center. Piccolo came crashing to the ground on all fours and stayed in that position as the elder Kai approached.

Trembling from sheer awe, Piccolo bowed his head and body as far as they could go, "It is an honor to meet you, Ancient Kai. A true honor."

"Well, finally!" The old man chortled, stopping in front of him, "Finally someone shows me some _respect_ around here!" The Kai patted him on the back, looking up with a smile, "I haven't had someone bow to me like that in… say… five million eras? Plus or minus a million?"

Piccolo stood up straight and closed his eyes, breathing deeply, trying to force all unnecessary thought out of his mind for the time being. He had not forgotten that these Kais had the ability to read minds. He didn't want to think anything stupid by accident.

Focusing on the task at hand, Piccolo bowed and decided to get straight to the point, "Ancient Kai, I came here to ask ab–"

"–Oh no, no, no!" The Kai bonked Piccolo on the head and shook his index finger at the startled Namekian, "I _hate_ when people call me that. It makes me feel _old_."

Piccolo felt sweat beads on his forehead, "Then… what should I call you?"

The Kai stepped back and began walked around Piccolo, putting his left hand to his chin as he looked upward in thought. "Well, some people call me Old Kai, but I prefer what Kibito calls me: Elder Kai." The Kai stopped and smirked widely, waggling his finger under his chin, "It makes me feel _superior_ to that _lowly_ Kibito!"

"Kibito?" Piccolo blinked, remembering the large red Kai who accompanied the Supreme Kai so many years ago when they fought Majin Buu. Piccolo shook his head and decided the Ancient Kai's qualms were of no concern to him. He had to get this out. "Then, pardon me, _Elder Kai_…" Piccolo coughed, "I came to ask you a question."

"Then be on with it!" Ancient Kai folded his hands behind his back and listened intently.

Piccolo hesitated, and bowed again, before continuing, "It's about your Mystic po–"

"–Ah! My Mystic powers!" Ancient Kai threw his hands up and placed them behind his head as he looked upward. He strutted a few steps and then turned on his heel to face Piccolo, "Yes, yes?"

"You see, Goh–"

"–Gohan! _That's_ his name! Oh my, I had forgotten it! I was calling him Goku for a while, but I _knew_ that wasn't right. Yes, yes?"

Piccolo looked down as his nose began to turn a shade of pink from growing frustration. It was one thing to guard one's thoughts in front of a powerful Kai, but having to tolerate him finishing his sentences was just –

"Irritating?" Ancient Kai grinned and tilted his head a bit as Piccolo struggled to hold a growl. "Well, if you want me to stop doing that, then shut your mouth."

"Just… please…" Piccolo clenched his fists and his teeth, "Just hear me out."

The Ancient Kai laughed and poked Piccolo on the shoulder, "I mean, you don't have to _say _it. Just _think_ it, Kamicolo. It's a lot easier that way and you don't have to trouble my old ears."

Piccolo nodded and tried to organize his thoughts, but was distracted by a calm voice that called out from over the small hill, "Where is he? Where is he?!" A long-haired Kai emerged into Piccolo's view and waved happily before running down to greet them. "Wow it's been so long, Piccolo! How have you been?"

The Ancient Kai spun and shook his fist at the approaching Kai, "No, you _baka!_ He's _mine!_"

The long-haired Kai stopped and blinked, "What do you mean?"

Piccolo's mouth dropped as he sensed the Supreme Kai within this new Kai. "Su-Supreme Kai?!"

Ancient Kai waved his hands and approached the long-haired Kai as if to shoo him away, "He came for _me!_ For once, let _me_ handle my _own _visitors!"

The other Kai laughed and waved his hand dismissively as he walked passed Ancient Kai. "But he's my _friend_, Elder Kai. I don't care if he's visiting you. I'd like to see him."

Ancient Kai huffed and waggled his finger at the long-haired Kai, "You can see him after we're done. We're doing _business _here!"

"Uh-huh." The long-haired kai smiled and approached Piccolo, looking him over. "Wow, Piccolo, you look the same. Just as good as ever, hmm?"

Piccolo stuttered as his eyes jerkily looked the long-haired Kai up and down. "Wow, Supreme Kai…" Piccolo suddenly remembered his place and made bow, "I may look the same, but – pardon me for saying this – _you_ look _extremely_ different…"

The Supreme Kai laughed and touched his left earring in thought, "Yes, well… I had a mishap with the Potara earrings while showing Goku how to use them." He smiled warmly and looked Piccolo in the eyes, "Please, Piccolo, call me Kibito." He put his hand on Piccolo's shoulder and nodded slightly, "I think I know you well enough to disregard titles here."

"Supreme Kai!!!" Piccolo dropped to his knees in reverence before the man, "I could not!"

"Oh look what you're doing to him!" Ancient Kai pushed Kibito Kai aside, "He should be doing that to _me!_ I get no respect! _No respect!_"

Kibito Kai nodded and said, "Fine then, do what you want with him, Elder Kai. I'll wait." With a shy smile, he sat on the ground and began picking grass as he watched Ancient Kai.

Piccolo found himself in an incredibly awkward situation. He had assumed the presentation of the most respected and politically powerful beings would be far different than how it was. Currently, this entire situation was highly unprofessional, but Piccolo felt uncomfortable letting his formalities down. Not to _these_ Kais. The Kami part of him would never permit that.

"So, Kamicolo…" The Ancient Kai walked up to him and studied Piccolo up and down, "Let's start over." The Kai began to walk around him with his arms behind his back. After circling him several times, he stopped in front of Piccolo and leaned toward him with a mischievous wink, "You didn't bring any new _magazines_ with you, did you? You know," he leaned closer still, "the _naughty _ones?"

Piccolo jumped back in disgust and made a face, "NO!"

"Elder Kai!!!" Kibito Kai threw a handful of grass at him, "That is _not_ the way to treat your guest."

The old Kai raised his hands defensively and muttered, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" as Piccolo felt his ears turn shades of red as his nose began to flush. So much for formalities…

Kibito Kai shook his head apologetically, "We haven't had many visitors lately. Please excuse him for his rudeness."

Ancient Kai turned to face Kibito, "What do you mean, _rudeness_? It's only because _you_ are here that I felt comfortable enough to ask that question!"

"Huh? Me?" Kibito Kai stood and raised his right eyebrow, "How did _I_ spur that comment?"

"By you being here, I've realized how much I've longed for _other_ company!"

"Well if you want other company so badly, go find yourself another planet!"

"But this is MY planet!"

"This is MY planet too!"

Ancient Kai roared, "This was _MY PLANET_ before you ever inherited it!"

Kibito Kai stomped, "And then you _VANISHED_ and it became _MY PLANET!_"

"Woah!" Piccolo waved his hands, "I'm sorry for interrupting you two, but if you want to continue bickering, I'd appreciate if you did it _after_ I left."

"You're right," Kibito Kai bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement to Piccolo, "I'm sorry about that." He shot a glare over at Ancient Kai, then looked to Piccolo with a smile, "Now, why did you come to see us, again?"

Ancient Kai bonked Kibito Kai on the head, "He came to see _ME_, you baka!"

Piccolo moaned in anguish and brought his hands to his ears, "Listen, I'll just tell both of you. The more advice I hear, the better."

Kibito rubbed his head and nodded, "Alright Piccolo, just think of what you wish to tell us, and I'll help you in whatever way I can."

"_We _can." Ancient Kai huffed.

Piccolo closed his eyes and focused his thoughts to what was happening on Earth. Through his images, he concentrated on the first time he felt an unstable ki on the planet, and the fight between Goten and Gohan, and he spent a great deal of concentration on Gohan transforming twice, because it would most likely be a big deal to Ancient Kai –

"–Just keep thinking about your concern, Kamicolo. Don't think about me."

Piccolo thought of how Gohan had attacked them and almost killed both Piccolo and Goten in one blow. He focused on how Goten had been speaking aloud during a fever dream, and spoke the name of the parasite, Valese, and how Valese had gone to Capsule Corp. and had intentions of getting revenge on the Saiyans.

Piccolo opened his eyes to see Kibito and Ancient Kai sitting cross-legged with their eyes still closed. A moment passed and Piccolo looked back and forth between the two of them, wondering if they somehow had fallen asleep. He coughed to gain their attention, and both Kais opened their eyes to look at him blankly.

Kibito turned his head to Ancient Kai and nodded, "You're right, Venerable Elder."

"Yes, yes, I know." Ancient Kai crossed his arms.

Piccolo frowned slightly and looked among them again, "What?"

Kibito Kai stood up and brushed some grass off his outfit. He reached his hand out to help Ancient Kai up, but the elder Kai just huffed and stood up without relying on any help.

Kibito just shrugged at the elder Kai's arrogance and turned to face Piccolo, "We were speaking of this matter as you informed us. It's interesting, what is happening on Earth." He smiled shyly, "We haven't observed Earth in a long time. It's surprising that we've missed all this."

Ancient Kai nodded, "We've been distracted from Earth because we've been concerned about a moon called Kikaru, recently. Apparently the North Kai went overboard about something and destroyed their entire temple out of frustration."

Kibito laughed, "Yes, I assigned him a new planet, and apparently the Kikaruans found a way to travel there on their honeymoons, and even though the North Kai destroyed their door to his planet, they still found ways of traveling there, so he blew up their temple."

Ancient Kai followed Kibito's laughter, "Yes, and now they all are losing faith in their religion and the whole moon is undergoing –"

Piccolo snapped at them, "–Listen, I don't care about what's happening on that moon. I want to know what you think of _Earth!_"

Ancient Kai shrugged, "Well, if you _insist_…"

Kibito nodded, "How about let's go to our usual grounds. The crystal ball is there, and we can check on Earth and its status now, if you like."

Ancient Kai smiled, "Yes, yes, and I can tell you what I think of your situation on the way."

Piccolo took a deep breath and bowed slightly before they all set out for their grounds.

----------

The Ancient Kai put his arms behind his back as they began to walk slowly toward the hills, "So, Kamicolo, I believe you have a question to ask me about Mystic powers?"

"Yes, Elder Kai, I do," Piccolo nodded, "I saw that Gohan had gone –"

"–Super Saiyan, yes, yes, I know." Ancient Kai brought his hand to his chin as he glanced to Kibito Kai. "So, ask me your question."

Piccolo looked ahead and asked, "Can you tell me _what_ the Mystic Powers are? What they do? How they work? Why they expire?"

Ancient Kai waved his hands, "No! No! One question at a time!"

Kibito looked over and smiled, "I believe his principle question is to ask you why Gohan can transform again."

"Oh!" Ancient Kai grinned, "That's an easy answer." He put his arms behind him as they walked.

Piccolo waited to hear, and perked his ears expectantly.

A moment passed, a minute passed, and they continued to walk in silence. Piccolo turned to look at Ancient Kai in puzzlement, not sure how long the Kai would take to answer his question.

After a while, Piccolo couldn't stand it any longer, "So??? What's the answer?"

Ancient Kai yawned and glanced at Piccolo, "Eh? Answer to that?"

"My question!"

Ancient Kai stopped walking and blinked. "Wait, what question? What were we talking about again?"

Kibito Kai sighed and put his hand to his head, "Piccolo wants to know why Gohan can transform again."

Ancient Kai laughed, "Ooooooh, yes, that's an easy answer!"

There was another pause as they walked in silence.

Piccolo suddenly growled, not intending for the Ancient Kai to forget the question again, "And what _is_ the answer?"

Ancient Kai pointed a finger in the air and smiled triumphantly, "The answer relies solely on the question." He moved his finger down to point at Piccolo, "You asked why Gohan can't transform again, right?" He grinned, "The answer is, he can transform again because he no longer _possesses _the Mystic Powers."

Piccolo moaned and covered his head, "I figured _that_ much out, thanks."

Ancient Kai waggled his fingers and grinned mischievously, "But you should ask me _who_ possesses the powers _now_."

Piccolo perked up and frowned, "What? You've given someone else the powers?"

Kibito Kai tilted his head, "I don't remembering you doing the Mystic ceremony on anyone else."

"NO!" Ancient Kai stomped his foot, "You two bakas don't know anything about the Mystics do you?!"

They both blinked and looked at each other.

Ancient Kai coughed and raised his hands, "The Mystic abilities had been passed down, generation after generation of Kais…" He coughed and raised his eyebrows a moment, as if waiting for them to do something. When they just stood there with blank stares, he coughed again as if on cue, "I think you'd better sit down for this. It's a long story."

Piccolo nodded and sat down beside Kibito Kai as they watched Ancient Kai cough and wave his hands around.

"When the universe was born, and all things were created by the Father Kai, he split himself into five beings to rule each corner of the universe, and through a rift, tore open a hole to another dimension, where he and his children watched the universe expand."

Kibito Kai sighed, "We don't need a history lesson, Elder Kai. I already know this."

"Wait! Wait! I get no respect, I tell you! No respect!" Ancient Kai waggled his finger to Kibito, "I'm not done with my story!"

"Fine." Kibito Kai raised his hands defensively then rested them on his lap.

Ancient Kai coughed and continued, "Father Kai was also known as the Mystic Kai. He held powers inside him that could create and destroy anything he liked. They were the same powers that formed the living universe. So, in other words, one who has Mystic abilities is also a part of the universe. The power of a Mystic does not come from one's own abilities. The power that a Mystic taps into belongs to every living thing in the entire living universe. Got that?"

Piccolo boggled a moment and shook his head, "Can you explain that again? I'm sorry, this is a little hard for me to comprehend."

Ancient Kai grumbled, "Why do I have to repeat it again? I just explained what the Mystic powers are, and you ask me to explain it _again_?!"

Kibito Kai shook his head, "Perhaps if you put it into Earthling simplification terms, Piccolo might understand better."

Ancient Kai huffed and crossed his arms, "I'm an old Kai. I don't have the energy to repeat everything I just said."

Kibito sighed and turned to Piccolo, "Fine then, I'll explain it."

Ancient Kai turned red and stomped, "Oh no you don't! He's _mine!_ Here's not here to see _you!_" He pointed his finger at Piccolo and continued his story in a rapid ramble, "Consider it like one of your little television set things you have on Earth. It's like – what do you call it again? Oh yeah – a _channel_. The power of the universe is the television, and a Mystic can tap into it like a channel. The powers of the television are endless, but a channel of it can only tap into so much. So, in retrospect, the _extent_ that one can tap into it relies on the body of the person and how much energy one can potentially handle. However, the power that is touched is limitless, so if a person can train his or her body to attain more power, there is always more for the taking. The Kais are able to access its limitless power, but any other mortal being can only access a fraction."

Piccolo shook his head, "I appreciate your explanation of it, but it still doesn't explain how Gohan does not have the powers anymore."

"Wait!" Ancient Kai huffed, "I'm not finished yet. I was just taking a break, for my poor weary voice."

Kibito Kai scoffed, "Stop flattering yourself. As if that little tiny speech could wear you out!"

"What are you talking about? I hardly ever speak to that extent."

Kibito pointed to Ancient Kai, "If I could record you and splice together how many times you speak per hour here, you'd be surprised to know that you speak more than _any other Kai_ I have _ever known_." He grinned, "And half the time, all you're doing is complaining about how nobody ever listens to you."

"Yes, but when I _do_ speak, without complaining, it is always filled with a great deal of advice, yes?"

Piccolo frowned and interrupted, growing impatient, "Please, Elder Kai, continue your story."

Ancient Kai slicked back the few strands of hair on his head and grunted. "_Anyway_," he paused as if to challenge Kibito Kai to interrupt him. Seeing he finally got the speaking floor again, he proudly began to pace back and forth as he continued, "So the Mystic Kai split himself into five extra beings who ended up becoming the first Grand Kais. Then they split themselves into parts, and eventually, the Other World was formed, planets were created, and as the universe unfolded in the living dimension, all the Kais settled into their new home."

Ancient Kai paused a moment to make sure that Kibito and Piccolo were still listening, and went on, "Everything went fine, as stars were born and with them, solar systems in the universe, and in the Other World, life was good, and both the Other World and Hell For Infinite Losers were designed for the first life forms to appear in the living worlds. However, as several million eras passed, the Mystic Kai found himself growing older. With his age, he found that his Mystic powers were failing, and ultimately, he created one last Kai whom was dubbed Eternal Kai, his direct heir to the throne of ruling over all the Kais."

Kibito Kai yawned and Piccolo shifted as they found themselves growing bored during Ancient Kai's story. Piccolo allowed himself to lean and fall back to the ground, facing the sky and observing the moons as Ancient Kai continued to babble the history of the Kais.

"However," Ancient Kai continued while pacing, "With his official heir – his child, so to speak – came the passing of his Mystic power."

Piccolo leaned his head up, "The passing of his power?"

"Yes, the passing of his power! That's what I _said_, isn't it?"

Piccolo sat up again and leaned forward, "Explain."

Ancient Kai threw up his hands in frustration, and yelled with his old voice, "Incredible! _Unbelievable!_" He brought his hand to his mustache and groomed it while thinking aloud, "_Already_, Kamicolo has gotten so used to being here that he thinks that he can command me to tell me what to do!"

Piccolo suddenly felt his heart leap and his eyes go wide, "Oh no! No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to appear that I was in any position to tell y–"

"–Oh, _relax_, Kamicolo. Go back to daydreaming. I was only kidding with you." Ancient Kai grinned and cleared his throat, "So, as to my story…" He paused and blinked a moment, "Wait, where was I?"

Kibito Kai opened his eyes a fraction and said, "The passing of the power."

"Ah, yes! The passing of the power!" Ancient Kai put his arms behind his back and began pacing again, "So, the Mystic powers were passed on to Eternal Kai. Through these powers, the Eternal Kai was able to continue to build things in the Other World and it gave him supreme reign." The Ancient Kai paused his pacing for a moment to think, "One could consider it his _legacy_, so to speak."

Ancient Kai waved his hands as if to dismiss his idea and continued on while walking back and forth, "So yes, to make a long story short, as billions of eras passed, the Kais grew older and retired, but also, during that time, the Mystic Kais, regarded as the 'Supreme Kai's by some – although now it has become the official term – lost power. Although they became respected and admired, the Other World began to forget the entire hierarchy. Nowadays, the official 'Supreme Kai' here, Kibito, never receives any word of_ anything_ anymore. The Grand Kai handles most of the important things. The Supreme Kai has become more of a celebrated symbol." The Ancient Kai nodded triumphantly with his hands on his hips, "And _that_ explains why Kibito and I here never get any visitors anymore."

Piccolo sighed, "But you still haven't explained why Gohan can transform."

Ancient Kai stopped and blinked, "Wait, wait? I was supposed to tell you why he is able to transform?!"

Kibito Kai laughed, "You _forgot?!_"

"NO!??" Ancient Kai said defensively and crossed his arms in front of him, "I just… I just wasn't done with my story yet, that's all."

Piccolo propped his elbows on his knees and held his face in his hands, "Go on."

"Well…" Ancient Kai rolled his eyes up, trying to organize his own thoughts, "So…. Eternal Kai's child and every succeeding 'Supreme Kai' from then on, over the millions of millennia, inherited the Mystic Powers. But because, over time, it lost its revered respect, the Mystic powers were no longer that important. The Kais just, sort of… lost their need for them." Ancient Kai stopped and looked at Piccolo, "And then I was born, and I became Supreme Kai."

Piccolo's eyes widened, "What?! You were the Supreme Kai?!"

Ancient Kai scoffed, "I _WAS_, until I was fused with an old hag and then locked away in the Z sword for _fifteen_ generations!"

Kibito Kai shook his head, "Please spare us that story. I've heard it too many times." He leaned over to Piccolo and whispered, "It's not very interesting, and he always complains about it."

Ancient Kai pointed to Kibito, "And then while I was gone, they voted _THIS_ guy to come and take over _MY PLANET_." He grumbled, "And he wasn't even a Mystic Kai."

Piccolo looked between them, in awe that he was in the presence of not one, but TWO Supreme Kais. It took everything he could to keep from trembling again before them.

Ancient Kai huffed and tugged his outfit, "Anyway, to make a long story short, since I am now unable to make an heir, since _Kibito_ here is the Supreme Kai, I figured I might as well pass on my powers to someone who needed them more. Also known as Gohan."

Piccolo sucked in his breath as his eyes widened, "Are you telling me that he had access to the most powerful essence in the entire universe?! And now it's gone?!"

"No," the Ancient Kai corrected with his hands behind his back, "I'm saying that _he passed them on_."

Piccolo stood in shock, as if a blow had suddenly hit him. His eyes were opened as wide as he ever could get them as he began to sweat in a stupor, "Are you telling me that his _KID_ has the power?!"

Ancient Kai nodded, "If Gohan doesn't have the power anymore, then he must have had a child. That child of his has the Mystic powers now."

Piccolo slapped his forehead in anguish, "But Pan is weak! She can't possibly manage that kind of power!"

Ancient Kai stopped and waggled his finger at Piccolo, "Remember what I said. It's like a channel in your Earthling television set. You have to train her to be able to access more of the power." He paused, "And, you have to open her mind to it. Even if her body may be trained, she has to be willing to open her mind to accepting such a power. Not just _anyone_ can wield it, you know. The person has to fully accept it." He waggled his finger, "_Remember_, Kamicolo, that the powers are _awakened_. She may ultimately need some sort of trigger for her full potential."

Piccolo groaned and tore at his antennae, "If that's the case, then we're all doomed!"

Kibito stood and looked at him, "I think you should place more faith in Gohan's daughter, Piccolo." He smiled, "She may or may not be as strong as her father, but she could still do some pretty good damage with whatever power she can tap into."

Piccolo sighed and crossed his arms, looking down, "So are you saying that there's no way for _me_ to gain access to these Mystic powers?"

"Absolutely _not_." Ancient Kai shook his head, "Why?"

"Because I need to teach a lesson to that parasite, Valese, that's why."

"Ahhhh yes! Valese!" Ancient Kai laughed, "I forgot about that parasite. Yes, yes, that's right." He put a finger to his chin.

Kibito turned to Piccolo and said softly, "Why isn't Goku dealing with Valese, then? Shouldn't you be on Earth helping Goku defeat it?"

"That's the problem," Piccolo growled, "Goku, Gohan's daughter, and Trunks went off to find my black star dragonballs, and nobody except I have been able to stop Valese."

Kibito nodded, "Yes, I heard about that, actually. Your black star dragonballs caused a bit of trouble, hmm?" He smiled, "Well, when are they three returning to Earth?"

Piccolo crossed his arms and looked up, "Anytime, now."

Ancient Kai smiled, "Well, why don't we check our crystal to see where Goku is right now?"

Piccolo's eyes widened as a smirk grew on his face. "That sounds like a plan."

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-_Completed 12/25/04_-

-_Uploaded 12/31/04-_

Note: I'm back from Jamaica, and while there I wrote 2 ½ chapters. I tried to post this yesterday, but fanfiction. net was giving me some problems logging in, so today will just have to do. The next chapter, although finished, is still undergoing a few last revisions. I'll be sure to get it out soon. Until then, Happy New Year!

Note 2:_ The flashback scenes have 2 more chapters to go._

I'm sorry for those who are unused to reading Piccolo's side of the story, but Piccolo is a HUGE figure during my Baby Saga, and I needed to give him a background to why he's going to do some things later on. Otherwise, I'd be killing him off before I ever got a chance to develop him. It's because of Piccolo that Pan finally learns to grow up.

Trust me, for those who are missing Goku and Trunks, you're going to definitely be seeing more cameos. Especially on Goku's part (hint hint, two chapters from now). But have no fear. After the Baby Saga, the story is going to be filled with the characters everyone knows and loves. Just have a smidgit of patience and enjoy Piccolo's story while you can. Trust me, it's not going to last forever. And yes, that is meant to be taken in more than one way.

Anyhoo, if you have any comments, feel free to review. If you'd like responses to any questions you may have, leave your email address (but be wary about how you leave it because fanfiction. net doesn't like email formatting in anything you submit).


	38. Flshbk4: Mission: Save Goku

CHAPTER 38:  
_Flashback #4:  
_Mission: Save Goku

As they approached the usual spot, Ancient Kai was laughing and babbling on about more Kai history to both Piccolo and Kibito Kai. Apparently, during the millennia that Ancient Kai had been locked away in the Z Sword, a great deal of Kai trivia had been lost through time. One such thing, as Piccolo found out, was the origin of Kai Heaven.

"No, no, no! It's not an actual Heaven! It's a place where retired and dead Kais have the _option_ to go," Ancient Kai waved his hands as if to prove his growing frustration with the Namek, "But it's in another dimension, and the only residents of Kai Heaven now are the Ancients. And I'm not even talking about me! They are Ancient even to _me!_"

"But how can there be another Other World? What do they do there?"

Kibito smiled and answered for Ancient Kai, "The answer to that is still unknown to people of this generation of Kais, since nobody has seen or heard of anyone coming back from the Kai Heaven. But it is rumored that –"

"–No! Stop interrupting me, Kibito! This is _my_ story. You can tell your own when I'm done!"

Kibito laughed shyly and shook his head, "Sorry, Elder Kai. Please continue."

Ancient Kai cleared his throat and raised his hands again as they passed several thick trees. "It is said that the Mystic Kai himself was a creation of another even more powerful Kai, rumored to be 'Great Kai,' who resides in another dimension that overlooks this one like we overlook the living dimension. It's all a hypothesized hierarchy, and nobody knows our origins for sure. Only Mystic Kai; but since he's gone, in supposed Kai Heaven, one can only find out by _journeying_ to Kai Heaven… But the two problems are that, one, nobody knows the location of the entrance to Kai Heaven, and, two, nobody knows how to pass the trials…"

Piccolo yawned as Ancient Kai danced around words in his stories. He was growing more and more impatient, feeling as if the Kais really had no actual _concern_ for Earth. They treated everything as a favorite pastime, or just a potential story to babble about. Piccolo feared that they wouldn't even care that much if the Earth exploded. It'd be great entertainment either way, and they seemed to be starving for something to do here on this plain and simple planet. To them, their crystal ball was their only ticket out of this place. No wonder they were taking their time.

As Ancient Kai started a new story about the first Kai civil war that broke out 1.2 billion eras ago, they passed by several more thick trees and entered a wide clearing with picnic blankets, books, magazines, a giant coffee machine, and a round crystal ball.

Kibito Kai laughed and clapped his hands softly, "We're here. We're home, you two."

"Ahhh," Ancient Kai beamed and dropped out of his story to look around. "Yes, that we are." He walked over to the crystal ball and sat down on a blanket, staring at it blankly, "Now, uh…" he scratched his head, "what are we here for, again?"

"We're going to check up on Goku, Elder Kai." Kibito took a seat across from Ancient Kai to peer into the opaque ball. Piccolo sat down between them and also looked into the glass, but when he couldn't see anything, looked up with an unimpressed face.

"Ah yes," the old Kai coughed and placed his hands above the glass. "First let me concentrate on his face, let's see…"

A minute passed, and nothing happened. The ball was simply a ball sitting on the grass and the elder Kai was just an old man, mumbling something to himself under his breath. Piccolo raised his brow ridge and curled an antenna in impatience.

After another minute passed, Kibito Kai politely coughed and said lowly, "Please, I mean no disrespect, Venerable Elder, but…shouldn't we be seeing something right now?"

"Hush! I'm trying to concentrate on his face, here."

Piccolo rubbed the back of his head, "Whose face? Goku's?" He smirked slightly and tilted his face slightly, "Yeah," his nose crinkled somewhat, "that may not work."

"Why not?" Kibito turned to look at him.

His smirk widened somewhat as he shook his head, "He's a _kid_, now, thanks to my dragonballs. He doesn't have the same face."

"Oh… really?" Kibito looked to Ancient Kai and his vision dazed for a moment as he tried to think of a way around this. "Well, how about we focus on someone who would not have changed over the years?" There was a pause as he straightened a loose strand that fell across his forehead, "How about Vegeta?"

"Oh, that _moron?!_" Ancient Kai huffed, "He gave me no respect! _No respect!_" He shook his fist at the ball and said gruffly, "That baka messed up my whole planet and didn't do _a single blow_ of damage to Majin Buu in the process!"

Kibito leaned forward with his hands clasped, "Yes, I know, Elder Kai, but please, just this once?"

The old Kai huffed, "Fine." He placed his hands on top of the ball and said aloud, "Vegeta… Vegeta… now what did that baka look like again? Oh yes…!"

An image formed in the crystal ball. At first, the focus was a bit blurry, but as it began to sharpen, Vegeta became clear. However, there was something odd about him.

Kibito Kai frowned slightly, "I don't remember him looking like that." He looked up, "Are you sure you've got the right guy?"

Ancient Kai huffed, "Of _course_ I've got the right guy. _I_ can't help it that people age over time and get gray hairs on that Earth planet." He fingered his mustache in thought, "That's something I don't understand. Why don't they all start off with gray? Honestly, aging is the most useless transformation that a species can have."

Piccolo shook his head, "That's Vegeta alright, but that's not Vegeta's hair. Vegeta still has dark hair." He peered closer and tried to make out his face, "Wait a minute… No, that's not Vegeta…!" His eyes widened as he was struck with a realization, "That means… Valese…!"

"Valese?" Ancient Kai narrowed his eyes. "But if that's Valese, then where's Vegeta??"

Piccolo leaned back and covered his face, "That means Valese is _inside_ Vegeta…!"

Ancient Kai blinked, "But how can Valese be _insi–_"

"–Shhh!!" Kibito hushed them and put his hands on the ball to make it zoom outward, "Look guys! It looks like Vegeta is fighting someone. I wonder who?"

As the crystal ball expanded its view, it incorporated several other figures into the view. Piccolo's eyes went even wider as he recognized the people beside Vegeta: Gohan, Goten, and _Trunks_. But if Trunks was back, then that meant both Goku and Pan were back.

Piccolo blinked as a sudden thought jolted him. Why were Gohan, Goten and Trunks fighting alongside the parasite?! Did Valese mess with their heads? What could this mean? If this meant that everyone Valese touched became possessed long-term, then the whole world was at risk of falling under the parasite's reign.

Piccolo sighed at the irony of it all. Goku and company were back, meaning the world was saved, but only long enough to fall into danger again. When would it ever end?

Ancient Kai asked something that jerked Piccolo from his growing panic, and then, asked again, "Who is that kid fighting Vegeta?"

Piccolo leaned over the ball to give it a nonchalant view. "I don't know… but… wait…" Piccolo blinked and suddenly looked long and hard, remembering that face from years ago, when Piccolo was still young. "Wait! Wait! That's Goku!"

Kibito recoiled from shock, "_THAT's Goku?!"_ He fell back to the ground and then pushed himself up to get another look into the glass.

All three of them watched the ball intently. There was a massive fight going on, and Goku suddenly made a Super Saiyan 3 transformation to battle it out with Vegeta.

Piccolo observed how the other Saiyans were staying clear from the fight. As long as it stayed that way… He looked up to the Kais with a small burst of pride within him as he acknowledged his old friend, "Goku should be able to defeat Vegeta. Even with Valese inside his body, there's no way Vegeta should be able to withstand a third-level Super Saiyan on his tail."

The elder Kai made a little whine and small cough as he stared deeper into the glass. "I don't _know_ about that…" Ancient Kai traced the ball, "It looks to me that Goku is having a hard time maintaining that transformation." He looked up to Piccolo, "He may be too young to be able to handle it right."

Kibito Kai shook his head, "How old _is_ Goku anyway?"

Piccolo frowned at the stupid question. "How would _I _know that?" He crossed his arms in front of him, "His age doesn't matter. He's a _kid. _That's all you need to know."

Again, there was a long pause as all three watched the battle in a stupor. Piccolo looked up after a while with a brow ridge raised and said, "So, what is going to happen now?"

Kibito Kai sighed and hesitated a moment, before saying, "As a rule, no Kais are permitted interfere with living world events, unless under extremely dangerous circumstances." He raised his fingers, "Like the instance with Majin Buu. If we would not have been able to defeat Majin Buu, he would have destroyed the entire living universe and nothing would have been able to stop him."

"You say you don't want to interfere…" Piccolo glared at Kibito Kai, "But what would happen if Vegeta defeats Goku?"

Kibito frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Valese would be unstoppable. Whether it is inside Vegeta or Gohan, it could easily destroy planets, and if anyone stronger comes across it, all it takes is a scrape on their bodies, and then Valese would be able to enter their body as well!"

Kibito sighed, "Listen, there have been parasites like this that have happened in the past. They usually don't get as far as Valese, or as powerful, but at this point, there's nothing we can do about the parasite. In this case, we have no authority to interfere." He grinned sadly, "I like Goku a lot. He's a good guy, but if we break the rules for one good guy, we're going to have to do it for all of them. As it is, I've interfered on Earth too much for my own good."

A hand suddenly came out of nowhere and bonked Kibito Kai hard on the head, "You _BAKA!_" Ancient Kai screamed out and bonked him again, "He came to visit _ME!_ _I_ get to say what happens around here, and if _I_ want you to interfere, you're going to interfere!"

Kibito rubbed his head and frowned, "What do you mean? Are you telling me you want me to get involved?"

"No," Ancient Kai huffed and crossed his arms, pointing his nose upward, "I'm just suggesting that you grab Goku and bring him back _here_."

Kibito raised his eyebrows, "But why?"

Ancient Kai scratched his nose and closed his eyes, "It is obvious that Goku is not able to withstand the might of this parasite." He stood up and began pacing, putting his arms behind his back, "Goku is getting beaten down, and…" His eyes turned sparkly as his nose turned red, "I have a feeling that there is a power inside of Goku that _I_ can help bring out."

Piccolo scoffed and hid a smirk behind a hand, "You think that highly of yourself, huh?"

Ancient Kai stopped pacing and pointed at Piccolo, "You show me no respect! No respect! Of _course_ I can help Goku. I did it once for Gohan, and now I can most definitely do it for _this_ Saiya–."

"–Elder Kai!" Kibito waved one hand at him and pointed to the ball, "I think you should take a look at this."

As Piccolo was turning his head to look at the ball again, Ancient Kai gasped and moved to point his finger at the ball, "_There _she is!"

Piccolo blinked, "Who?"

"But oh no!" Ancient Kai put his hands on his head and whined, "She's using it all wrong! She's treating it as if she's creating the power, and is holding back from using too much, probably thinking it will drain her. She'll never reach her potential that way!"

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, "Who is that?"

Kibito Kai closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to look at Piccolo. He smiled and said in a calm voice, "I believe she is Gohan's daughter."

Piccolo intook a breath and widened his eyes, "_That_ is _Pan?_" It was hard for him to believe. The last time he had seen the girl with his own eyes was years ago when she was barely nine and visiting Goku at the Lookout. She had grown a great deal these past six years, and Piccolo didn't even recognize her.

Ancient Kai put a finger to his chin, "The girl is impressive, but I don't know if she has as much potential as Gohan…"

Kibito Kai nodded, "Yes, unless she can find a way to adapt her body to great amounts of energy, I can't really see her –"

Piccolo cut in, growing impatient again, "–Could we cut back to Goku? How is the battle going?"

Ancient Kai bowed his head slightly, "It's a shame. I'd hate to see the Mystic powers lose their potential because they become more and more huma–"

"–Listen! I need to know how Goku is doing. He could be in trouble, and you two aren't even watching him."

Ancient Kai laughed, "Oh don't worry about Goku, I'm sure he's just – AHH? What's _that?!_"

The ball cut to Vegeta holding a large black and red death bomb above his head. Yellow lightning bolts surged out of it with growing intensity as the ki ball expanded to grow bigger and bigger. All three of them watched this with wide eyes and mouths agape.

Kibito Kai managed to get a few words out as the crystal ball homed in on Goku, lying defeated in a crater, awaiting the oncoming blast, "He's… he's about to take that blast head on!"

They all watched as the dark ball of energy was released and thrown toward the semi-conscious boy in the crater. Halfway through the release of the blast, Ancient Kai spit out, "Well then _do_ something about it!"

Kibito gasped, "But I don't want to interf–"

Ancient Kai shook his fist, "GO GET HIM OR _ELSE!_"

The death ball was almost upon Goku. The entire earth began to collapse around the Saiyan. Without any time to think, Kibito quickly stood up and said, "I'm on it!" before vanishing into thin air.

Piccolo stared in shock for a bit at where the Supreme Kai used to be just a split second before, and then his eyes jerked back to the crystal globe, which began to glow from the intensity of the black energy's explosion. Goku was caught in that. If they lost Goku, then there'd be no hope left for Earth.

Seconds seemed to pass like hours as Piccolo watched the debris from the explosion fall. His eyes scanned for any signs of Goku, but he was gone. How long was the rescue supposed to take? Where did Goku go?

A sudden _POP _in front of him threw Piccolo back. Kibito Kai popped back into appearance and landed on the grass looking slightly shocked.

Piccolo blinked, "Supreme Kai? Where did you go?"

"Curse it!" The Kai kicked the grass, "I lost him!"

Ancient Kai's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean 'you _lost him_'?"

"The explosion from the blast was so powerful, he was knocked out of my arms during my inter-dimensional warp. Now he's caught in Sugoroku Space!"

The old Kai stood up straight and shook a fist at Kibito, "You _LOST HIM!_?!"

Piccolo looked between the kais in a stupor for a bit, not fully able to realize what they were implying. "How…?" he blinked, "How do you just _lose_ someone?"

Kibito Kai sighed and slumped his shoulders slightly, "Well, it's not really losing him. He's just gone to a place where I can't reach, because the dimension he fell into is a warp in itself."

Piccolo blinked again, "What warp?"

Ancient Kai huffed, "No one has ever survived the Sugoroku Space to live and tell about it." He waggled his finger at Kibito, "And now look what you've done! You lost Goku in the one place we can't go!"

Kibito Kai looked down, "I'm sorry."

"You'd better be." The Ancient Kai muttered and folded his arms before him, "You should have let _me_ handle the job." He huffed, then pointed his nose upward, "That just goes to show that _rookies_ should never be depended on for these kinds of things."

Kibito stiffened, "But I am _not_ a _rookie!_"

"Well, then, Kibito, tell me how we can fetch Goku and then I'll believe you!"

"I…" the Kai looked down shamefully, "I don't know."

"You rookie."

A long pause ensued between them. All three of them sat in an uncomfortable silence. While Ancient Kai's temper was slowly fading, Kibito Kai was mourning over Goku's loss and Piccolo was still too much in shock to fully realize the fate of his friend.

After a long time, Ancient Kai put his arms to the ground and pushed himself to his feet, breathing in sharply. Straightening his clothes and slicking his mustache, he said cheerily, "Well! I'm in the mood for a nice cup of a coffee."

A moment of silent shock passed between the two sitting down, trying to contemplate the change of moods.

Kibito Kai suddenly hissed, "This is _not_ the time for coffee, Elder Kai."

Ancient Kai blinked, "Why not?"

The long-haired Kai sighed, "Well… shouldn't we at least say a few words about Goku first?"

"Who?" Ancient Kai brought a finger to his chin, "Goku?" He looked up a moment and then a spark came to his eye, "Oh yes, Goku! But why Goku?" He blinked, "Did something happen to him?"

Another moment of awkward silence passed as Kibito Kai moaned and held his head in his hands.

Kibito Kai sighed and shook his head defeatedly, "Elder Kai… Don't take this the wrong way, but…" He looked up with his eyes hidden behind his brow, "I _really_ think it's about time you retired."

"Nonsense." Ancient Kai smiled and put his arms behind his back. As he turned to walk toward his coffee machine, he called over his shoulder, "So who's up for a cappuccino?"

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-_Completed 12/27/04_-

-_Uploaded 12/31/04_-

Note: Man, I love Ancient Kai. He's such a character. It's fun writing senile old men, I gotta tell you. More people should write fictions about the Kais. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and the one before this (Chapter 37). I still need to complete the next chapter, but it will be out eventually. Don't you worry X)

**Note 2: **

**_WARNING:_ THIS IS A LONG-OVERDUE NOTE REGARDING MY "RANTS" SECTION OF MY BIO.**

_IF YOU ARE GOING TO REVIEW, DO IT NOW!!!! OR ELSE YOU WILL FORGET WHAT THIS CHAPTER WAS ABOUT. YOU CAN COME BACK TO THIS AFTER YOU HAVE REVIEWED. THANKS_

Before I even begin this section, I want to start with something VERY important to me:

My rants section and my story are completely independent of each other. **If you would like to castigate my opinion, I would _love_ to hear your rebuttal. I APPRECIATE when people respond to my rants. I don't regard opinions about my rants section as flames. Go ahead and state what you are saying. But if you do, _do NOT comment on my rants in my fanfiction reviews_. Because my rants and my story are completely different, _if you review about my rants, do it separately than my story reviews_. I suggest email: **lauraneato at gmail. com**, but you can catch me on AOL:** LauraNeato**. I just don't want people who disagree with my bio section to bring the discussion into my reviews page. Thanks **

_Now onto the long version. Unless you feel adamantly against my rants section of my bio, **please disregard this:**_

I got an interesting review regarding my rants section of my bio page, and I feel it is time that I address the issue somewhat that I am, in fact, very outspoken when it comes to writing criticism, but I want to stress that I don't aim it at any authors in particular. It's the general _idea_ of it that gets me thinking, and I like to write my thoughts down. While all my rants are completely biased, I'm only really adamant about _one_ of them: "Rant 1: Pan shouldn't be a kid at the end of GT". That's the one I feel most strongly about. That particular rant led to an entire chain of them which keeps building over time. But right now, I want to address my Rant 1:

People completely disregard the passing of time in GT merely because the GT artists decided to avoid drawing them differently over the course of the years. This is the artists' fault. Even though they make Pan's hair relatively longer by the end of GT (past her shoulders, when in the beginning it was way above her shoulders), they don't change any features on her. I also blame this on the fact that Akira Toriyama was not involved with the series, and didn't make any Manga before this, so they didn't have to change the character designs at all to match Toriyama's idea. But in any case, no matter where the blame lies, there WAS a significant lapse of time, and at LEAST Goku should have grown a bit. There's a HUGE difference between 12 year old boys and 16 year old boys (he's 16 by the end of GT). They just were being stupid by ignoring it. Even if the last sagas of GT were completely disregarded, and the peacetime, second grand tour, super android 17, and shadow dragon sagas never existed, he would have at LEAST been 14 at the end of the series. But they don't show it at all. All the artists are bakas. That's what I conclude.

Anyway, sorry to include the latest rant at the end of this chapter. It just kinda happened, sorry. I don't mean to offend any person in particular, but I feel that at least one person should get out there and comment on all the trite, cliché plots that exist. I'm not saying that cliché plots are _bad_ per say. I see chick flicks at the movies all the time, and they are always about the girl who likes the guy, and tries to change for him and then they both realize in the end that they should just be themselves around each other and blah blah, yada yada, you know those plots. I just wish that I could see some more original things on fanfiction. net, and yes, sometimes it takes one person to really stand out and speak out their beliefs. I understand that the rants section may offend people. That's why I placed a huge long, over-extended disclaimer in front of it. But I want to state again that **_I_ _don't boycott stories_**. I will read any story that has an intriguing summary that catches my eye. And I will comment, and I DON'T flame. If I read a story where everyone is falling under "saiyan bonding" then you know what? I'll read it. I might not like the idea so much, but if the author is able to take the story somewhere interesting, I will most definitely appreciate it.

I don't know how I make my rants hypocritical, however. The only thing that could remotely sound hypocritical is the "saiyan bonding" idea, but I DON'T do "saiyan bonding" in my story. _The ring bonding only applies when the spouse's life is in danger and the ring-bearer is knowledgeable of that fact._ If, in my story, let's say… Gohan kills Pan, just for an example… if Trunks is not there to witness it, he will have no idea that she died, and nothing would ever happen to him. The only thing that would happen would be that Trunks' ring would be removable. He wouldn't die, he wouldn't suffer, he wouldn't be forced to stay single the rest of his life because his technical "wife" died years before.

I'm sorry for having to write this explanation of my rants section. I get emails about it all the time, and even though I tell people not to take the rants personally, people still get the wrong idea.

However, I also get emails informing me of people who actually apply my ideas. Apparently, my "abortion" rant inspired an author, who shall remain anonymous unless she gives me permission to refer her story to you guys, to actually write the first fanfiction _ever_ to have an abortion in it. Geez : ) She beat me to the punch ; ) ((I'm just kidding. Pan will NOT be getting pregnant in my story. Sorry if that's a spoiler for those who want her and Trunks to have a kid anytime soon)).

Sorry for the long author's note. I think it was long overdue. Chapter 38, about 150,000 words into the story, 286 pages single-spaced 12 pt times new roman font, and I had not even once officially addressed my bio feature presentation.

For those who are going to go read it now because of this, DON'T. It's RATED R, people. Only go to that section of my bio if you are 17 or older and can handle criticism. Remember, _if you do go_, I'm NOT aiming the rants at anyone in particular.

Quick Note 3 (for all those who made it past Note 2, heh): Anyway, for those into football, I'm rooting for the University of Michigan at the Rose Bowl! Go Blue! Go Goku! Go go gadget go! X)


	39. Flshbk5: Saved!

CHAPTER 39:  
_Flashback #4: The FINAL FLASHback…okay, maybe not so funny ; )  
_Saved!

Piccolo sat staring at the ball as the two Kais were conversing by the coffee machine. Although the ball was offering a good show, his mind was on other things. He could really care less about the Kikaruan civil war that had broken out. It really angered him that the whole "Goku incident" as they called it, was like a halftime show for the main event that was taking place on some random moon. These Kais really had nothing better to do. And, the Kais were absolutely worthless. Piccolo snarled in anger, having worshipped the Supreme Kai all his life, and finally spending alone time with _two_, only to realize their incompetence.

Piccolo kept wondering where Goku was, what he was doing, how he could get out of a dimension… But it all seemed impossible. Or, almost impossible. However, Goku had done some things in the past that blew the cap off Piccolo, such as being able to instant transmit to the Other World. Normally, only Guardians were the only mortals capable of such an act, but Goku managed the task effortlessly, as if it were innate. It still boggled the Namek somewhat that his friend was an all-around prodigy, yet somehow managed to be the most naïve little kid inside, no matter what his age. It sometimes left Piccolo wondering what Goku would have been like if he had never bumped his head as a child. Whatever the case, Piccolo thanked all the Kais (excluding the two idiots he was with) for the fact that Goku was on _his_ side. Then again, Piccolo smiled, Goku wasn't always his friend. They two had an interesting past.

Piccolo sighed as his vision went past the ball and unfocused on the grass around it. The past was the past, though. Now, he put a lot of faith into Goku, and the fact that he was missing for several hours was _not_ a good sign.

It wrenched him inside to think of all the possibilities that could explain Goku's absence. Perhaps Goku _did _die. Perhaps what the Kais said was true – that Goku would never make it out of that dimension. If that were the case… what would Piccolo do?

As he tried to think of strategies to defeat the parasite infecting the world, he realized that there was very little he, himself could do. Any hope of attaining Mystic powers was shot when he realized that _Pan_, of all people, was the only one capable of grasping them.

He sighed audibly and grasped his head in an effort to think. Focusing his eyes somewhat on the ball, he saw several Kikaruans throw ki blasts… or something that resembled ki blasts, at each other. On each of their hands, something glowed brightly, but wasn't the source of the power they used. But, whatever was going on, Piccolo could really care less. It wasn't his war. He had problems of his own to worry about.

Piccolo adjusted his seat on the grass and crossed his arms, looking up to several clouds in the multi-hued sky. _What am I doing here?_ He groaned to himself, _I'm just sitting around waiting for word from a good-as-dead Saiyan while the one person that matters right now is on Earth and completely vulnerable to that parasite._ Piccolo realized he had to go back. If Goku was gone, and Gohan was possessed, then someone needed to protect her. And he wasn't about to rely on Mr. Satan for any contributing help. Even less so, Majin Buu. He still hadn't forgiven the blob for everything he did in the past. Call it hypocritical on his part, but he felt uncomfortable leaving Pan around such an ex-villain-turned-good. He'd sooner trust Perfect Cell. He knew the old phrase, the 'most dangerous time is when one feels safe', and it would be a severe err on her part to rely on those two idiots for shelter.

That girl had to learn how to rely on her own. That included cutting her off from _everyone_ she knew in the past. Some intensive wilderness training might do her good, but that might be difficult to conceal from Valese. He'd think of something eventually; but, for now, he had to concentrate on heading back to Earth.

He stood slowly and adjusted his hat. He wasn't quite sure how to word it to the Kais that he wanted to go home. He had come here expecting to train, but finding out that Pan was a liability, his plans had to change.

As he was about to turn and make his valediction announcement to the Kais, something caught his eye and threw his mindset off.

Frowning slightly, he watched the war scene fizzle slightly in the ball, and then watched it grow dark. The image crackled into buzzing snow and the ball began to emanate small electric bolts along its central equator. Piccolo blinked at it and felt slight sweat forming at his forehead. He turned his head to the Kais and said in a low tone, "Supreme Kai…" He nodded to the older one, "Elder Kai… um…" He shifted and glanced down, "I think your ball is, uh… broken."

The Kais' conversation cut short as Ancient Kai looked over to him and blinked in surprise, "What do you mean _broken?_ My ball can't break!" He hobbled over to the ball, followed closely by Kibito, to get a closer look. "My _BALL!_" He stopped and shook his fist at Piccolo, "What did you _DO?!_"

Piccolo's eyes widened as he threw up his hands defensively "I didn't do anything! That thing started crackling on its own!"

Ancient Kai peered at him a slight moment and then sat cross-legged before the ball. Leaning over, he harrumphed in an irritated voice and tilted his head somewhat to gaze into the ball. Extending his hands, he started muttering ancient chants to the ball, but it just sat there in a snowing static.

After about a minute of this, Ancient Kai shot a quick glare at Piccolo and looked to Kibito, who had made his way over as well. "Kibito, _you_ handle it! I'm not good at fixing these things."

"_Me_?!" Kibito Kai blinked, "How would _I_ know how to do it? This is your ball!"

"Oh hush hush, you're younger than me!" Ancient Kai raised his nose and closed his eyes with a superior huff, "I'm too _frail_ to handle these things."

Kibito Kai held in a growl and knotted his brow as he almost reconsidered the teachings that one should always respect one's elders. Although Piccolo had to suffer Ancient Kai for a respectively small amount of time, Kibito knew he'd be stuck with the nutcase for another few millennia, if not longer. Even after a good twenty Earth years of having to deal with the elder Kai, Ancient Kai still found new ways of coming close to pissing him off. And that was a very hard thing to do, especially for the Supreme Kai. He had always been the mellow type… that is, until Ancient Kai sprung out from the Z sword. It all began when the Ancient Kai failed to tell Shin Kai and Kibito Kai, his two halves, that the Potara fusion would be permanent. His failing memory had, since, found more ways of messing with Kibito's life.

Kibito sighed dejectedly and sat down next to Ancient Kai, looking into the ball, "Alright… I'll see what I can do."

Kibito Kai put his hands on the ball and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on changing the channel. He figured that the problem might stem from one of the quadrants. Kikaru was on the very edge of the North Quadrant, so perhaps Vidal, in the West Quadrant, might be accessible. Using whatever channeling powers he could, he tried to concentrate on accessing the medical planet. Opening his right eye slightly, he peeked at the ball to see if he was getting any results.

Ancient Kai noticed Kibito slacking and raised his fist, "No good, no good!"

Kibito sighed and tried to access New Namek in the South Quadrant. That, as before, yielded staticky results. Having full knowledge of the East Quadrant, since he used to be the Grand Kai of that region, he concentrated on several industrial moons and planets that might give some positive results. But, as before, nothing came to the ball.

Kibito frowned and looked down to the glass, "I don't know, Elder Kai… I think…" He felt a slight bit of color come to his cheeks as he pulled back a stray hair that tickled his forehead, "I really _do_ think the ball is broken."

"Nonsense!" Ancient Kai sprang to his feet and pointed at Kibito Kai, "This ball was created by my _grandfather's grandfather's grandfather_! The quality back then was _immeasurable _compared to the things they have now!"

Piccolo, watching the entire scene in silence, did everything he could to hold back a smirk. No wonder the ball was a piece of crap. That thing was almost as old as the Earth's solar system itself. He was surprised the thing didn't just shatter into dust the second he touched it.

Kibito Kai, too distracted to read Piccolo's thoughts, sighed and put his hands over the ball again, "Alright, I'll try a place more local. Maybe it's just having a bad day?" Kibito closed his eyes and concentrated on the North Kai whose planet was relatively closer than the planets of the living world.

The ball sputtered for a moment, turning several hues of colors, and then brightly began to display the short blue Kai chasing some small nude pink couples across a field.

Kibiti Kai jumped up and pointed to the ball, "Look Elder Kai! I'm getting something! Look!"

"Oooooh!!!" Ancient Kai leaned over across the ball with a growing grin on his face as he noted the nudist females, "Oooohhh!!! Look at those _vixens!_ Ohh ho ho ho! Ho ho ho!"

Piccolo took a quick glance and then released a muffled shriek as he looked away, "Elder KAI!" His cheeks and ears flushed multiple shades of red, "Have some decency!"

Kibito shut the ball off so it turned white and shook his head, "He's always like that. You should have seen him several years ago when he discovered a planet called 'Despido.' Apparently it is tradition there to run around in the flesh every Sabbath for them, to celebrate the birth of life in its basic form." He leaned closer to Piccolo and said in a lower voice, "I had to put a channel blocker on the ball just so he'd stop staring at the women."

"_YOU_ did that!" Ancient Kai pointed at Kibito Kai for a moment and relaxed it by his side, "I should have _known._"

Kibito Kai shook his head, "It doesn't matter right now, Elder." He looked at the translucent white ball a moment, "I'm curious to find out what is causing this static."

Ancient Kai huffed a little bit and then straightened his ruffles somewhat, "Well, I believe _I_ may have a general idea of what's going on."

Both Piccolo and Kibito raised their eyebrows at once, "You do?"

"This reminds me of a _story_…"

Both Kibito and Piccolo let out large sighs, knowing what was to come.

"You see, I used to be best friends with Celestial Kai, back in the good old days, when Celestial Kai was the Grand Kai of the North, but also my bodyguard, so to speak, because Celestial had always been a greater fighter than I. Yes, yes, he was always much better than me in the tournaments…" Ancient Kai's eyes rolled up as a smile crossed his face, "Yes, I remember there was this one time when I was younger, he and I decided to spar together just to see who was stronger, and he beat me! But I'm so glad we did it when nobody of importance was really looking except the East Kai of that time – but he retired soon afterward; I made sure of that." Blinking and staring at a few clouds, Ancient Kai's smile broadened, "Yes, yes, it was that day when I was first exposed to cappuccino. And then I made sure it was always on the list of beverages at all the convenience stands –"

"–Excuse me, Venerable Elder," Kibito twiddled his thumbs patiently, "What point is your story trying to make, exactly?"

"Wait, wait, I'm getting there!" Ancient Kai waved his hands and then looked to the ball to organize his thoughts, "So anyway, after we went out to cappuccino, I decided to challenge him to a rematch, but we wanted to do it in a place where no Kais would oversee us fighting again, since we knew that East Kai might let the news out that we were having a little too much fun. But then again, it might have been because we had a few drinks beforehand, and we didn't want people to know we were slacking on the job…"

Piccolo coughed and sighed exasperatingly, throwing the old Kai off for a moment as he was losing his track of thought. Pausing for a moment, Ancient Kai blinked and then smiled triumphantly as he remembered where he was going in the story, "Yes, yes, and so we decided to go to the Living World, on a planet that had not been inhabited yet. And there, we could spar all we wanted and make a little getaway home for us. However…" He paused a moment to add suspense and brought his right index finger to his chin, "We didn't exactly know _where_ to go, since the ball only displays planets with life forms. We were making a shot in the dark, and so, along the way to this supposed planet, we got… erm… _lost_."

Piccolo raised his brow ridge, "Lost?"

"Yes, that's what I _said_, didn't I? You're not going to make an old man repeat what he says, are you? Lost! LOST! We got _lost_."

There was a long pause as both Kibito Kai and Piccolo sat patiently, listening to hear the end of the story. Or, perhaps the beginning, knowing how Ancient Kai liked to go off on tangents.

Another long pause ensued… and then another. The silence became overbearing.

Piccolo could feel his temple throb as his mouth began to contort into a snarl. His patience snapped as his body tensed into a wave of hatred and anger, "YES?! AND THEN WHAT?"

Ancient Kai's eyes widened as he intook an enormous gasp.

"Shhh!!!" Kibito raised a hand to Piccolo, "That's _no way_ to talk to an elder Kai!"

Piccolo's eyes widened as he realized the disrespect he had just shown Ancient Kai. "I'm… I'm _terribly_ sorry."

"You _should_ be!" Ancient Kai huffed. "You almost made me lose track of where I was taking my story."

Kibito shifted uncomfortably, "Venerable Elder… Is there any way you could speed this up? I mean…" His cheeks flushed slightly, "You know, abridge it?"

"You know, if it weren't for you two, the story would have been _done _by now." Ancient Kai closed his eyes and took a deep breath and relaxed his body, moving his legs so he sat cross-legged on the ground. "I was going to say, after we got lost, we decided to take out the _ball_ and find where we _were_." He opened his left eye somewhat to see if either of them were going to interrupt before continuing, "And it was then that we realized that the ball was _staticky_."

"So this has happened before?" Kibito looked at the white ball and then back to the elder Kai.

"Yes… Yes, it turns out we were in something called a, um… '_Hyberpolnick_ _Time Corridor_', or something along those lines."

Piccolo frowned, "The Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"

"That's what I _SAID _didn't I? Didn't I? _REALLY._" Ancient Kai huffed, "I get _no _respect."

Kibito ignored the past few words that were exchanged as his mind was racing, trying to make sense of the staticky situation of the ball. "Elder Kai…" He looked up and saw that both Piccolo and the old Kai were looking at him, "Isn't the Hyperbolic Time Chamber in another dimension?"

"Yes, yes, that's right." Ancient Kai nodded, "We later found out that the ball gets staticky if taken outside of a dimension that is neither the Living World or the Other World."

"Then would that mean…" Kibito Kai blinked, trying to make sense of it all, "Perhaps there is a disturbance in between dimensions? I mean…" He looked to Piccolo and to the elder Kai again, "The Living World is not available to us at the moment, but we were able to see the North Kai's planet clearly, since it is within our realm."

"It is_ likely._" Ancient Kai nodded and stared blankly at the ball for a moment. Then, a grin crossed his old features, "_I _know!" He reached out and slapped Kibito Kai across the back, "_You_ can go check it out."

"Me?!" Kibito's eyes narrowed, "But I went last time!"

"Yes, yes, and you are a _rookie_, and you need more _experience_ with these things!"

"Would you quit calling me a 'rookie'?!" Kibito sprang to his feet and shook a fist at Ancient Kai, "You're just an old geezer who's too _lazy_ to do anything for himself!!!"

Ancient Kai's eyes widened, "Why _you–!!!"_

"–Would you two just _quit it?!_" Piccolo snarled and slammed his foot on the ground, "All I've ever been hearing out of you is _babble babble babble_, _quarrel quarrel quarrel_, _bicker bicker bicker…_!!!" He roared and tore at his hat, "Why don't you two just _DO_ something about it instead of _arguing?!_"

"Yes, he's right," Ancient Kai crossed his arms in front of him and looked away, "You should _do_ something about it, Kibito."

There was a long pause as the Supreme Kai closed his eyes and clenched his fists at his side, trying to keep control of the rising anger that the elder Kai seemed to evoke from within him.

After a time, Kibito sighed dejectedly and looked to Piccolo, "I'll see what's going on between the dimensions…" He frowned and then looked to Ancient Kai, "But whatever it is, I'm bringing it back _here_, so _you_ can deal with it."

Ancient Kai huffed, "Fine."

Kibito vanished into a _POOF_ of air. Piccolo looked at the area where Kibito Kai used to be and then turned to Ancient Kai, "Well at least _that_ was handled appropriately."

Just as suddenly as Kibito had vanished from the planet, however, a _POP_ resonated through the air and the long-haired Kai reappeared with three other people in tow. They all landed on the ground and sprawled outward on top of each other in a mountain of surprised groans.

"_That_ was quick!" Ancient Kai blinked and then looked to the ball, which was sputtering with renewed power, "Ooh, _GOODY!" _He grinned widely, "Now I can get back to my show!!"

----------

Piccolo stood and approached the mountain of bodies cautiously. It was hard to believe that there were actually people _in-between_ dimensions. Their outfits didn't really look like Kais, and he couldn't get a grasp of their faces, but whoever they were – to be able to get stuck in between life and death and still survive – they were definitely tough cookies.

A large moan erupted from the bodies and soon after, a young boy's head popped out of the pile, blinking as he looked around. With a second blink and third, the boy opened his mouth and managed to out "Huh?" and a "Where am I?" before his eyes settled on Ancient Kai, "Elder Kai?" He blinked as his vision spanned the horizon and took in the second figure, which was approaching him. "Piccol-_OH–?!_"

The boy was sent sprawling as Kibito Kai poked his head out from underneath the mass of bodies. "So… heavy!!!! Can't… breathe!!" He crawled out of the bodies and stopped beside the boy, panting heavily. After gaining the air he needed, Kibito stood up and brushed himself off slowly, puffing out his chest somewhat toward Ancient Kai, "It looks like the inter-dimensional warp needed some clean-up duty."

Ancient Kai looked up with a nonchalant glance just out of mild curiosity and then looked at the ball again. But, after a second had passed and his vision finally sunk into his head, Ancient Kai blinked and looked up again to see the boy beginning to get on his feet, "Ohhh!!!! HAHA! Goku, you are _alive!_" Ancient Kai got to his feet and hobbled toward the boy as quickly as he could, stopping right before him and giving an irritated glance toward the other Kai, "I was _sure_ that Kibito had killed you."

Goku smiled widely at the group and then turned his gaze to look at Piccolo to achieve an even wider grin. "Wow! Piccolo! You're _here!_ I didn't know you died! But….. wait…" Goku's face grew serious as his eyes widened slightly. Goku stepped back with wavering eyes, "You aren't – _You aren't KING Piccolo _are_ you?!?!_"

"_NO!_" Piccolo groaned and put his hand to his head, "Augh… Why do you always have to be such an idiot."

"Well… I'm sorry, how should _I _know if you are him or not? I mean, he's dead isn't he? And we're in the Other World, right?" Goku looked to Kibito Kai and blinked, "What am I doing in the Other World, anyway?!" He looked to Ancient Kai, "I need to get back to Earth! Something terrible has happened down there!"

Ancient Kai nodded, "Yes, yes, we know _all about_ Valese."

Kibito Kai nodded as well, "We heard it from Piccolo. He was there when Valese possessed Gohan."

"No, but not he's got _Vegeta_! And even inside Vegeta, Baby managed to get _Trunks_ and… and." Goku trailed off as his eyebrows went up in confusion, "Wait a minute, who's _Valese?_"

Piccolo raised his brow, "Who's _Baby?_"

Ancient Kai's ears perked up, "Baby?"

Kibito made a glance to Ancient Kai and nodded, "Baby."

"AHA!" Ancient Kai pointed his finger up and threw his head back in a cackle, "_NOW_ I know what you've been talking about, Piccolo! Oh yes, oh yes, this is a grave, grave situation!"

Piccolo blinked and felt his eyes go wide and his mouth frown slightly in confusion. "Would _somebody_ like to explain this to me?"

A nasal voice from behind Goku interrupted everyone, "Oh _wow!_"

Everyones' eyes turned to the new voice and saw a rather round green man with black across his eyes wobble up to them. Along the way, he turned around to face a smaller version of him who was getting on his feet. "Where are we _now_?"

"Heyyyy!!! You guys made it, too!" Goku ran to the larger green man and greeted him heartily, "That was a trip!!! _Guess _where we are! This is great! Come on, guess, guess!"

Kibito coughed and stepped up to Goku, putting a gentle hand on the boys' shoulder while looking at the green man, "You are on the Planet of the Kais. These are very holy grounds."

"Bah, don't listen to him. We're all family here, right?" Goku grinned at Kibito, whose ears had turned a pinker shade from slight embarrassment.

"Well, then!" The green man said happily, "I'm sorry, I didn't formally introduce myself! My name is Sugoro and this is my son, Shusugoro." He patted his son on the back, "We're shape-shifters by trade."

Ancient Kai's eyes perked up at this and a lecherous smile spread across his fragile lips. "Shape-shifters, eh?" He quickly hobbled over to the larger of the two and said into his ear, "You don't think you should shape-shift into, you know, one of those _naughty_ magazines, do you?"

Sugoro gasped and jumped back, "Ex_cuse me?!_"

"Elder Kai!" Kibito bonked him on the head and growled, "What have I said about you treating guests that way?!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Ancient Kai grinned and looked over to Kibito. "I was just _kidding around_."

"Holy grounds, huh?" Sugoro raised an eyebrow and gave a quick grin.

"Daddy?" Shusugoro tugged on Sugoro's shirt slightly, "What are 'naughty magazines'?"

Everyone except Goku seemed to turn a slight shade of red. A brief silence interrupted everyone's conversation as awkward glances were made from the boy to the ground.

Goku looked around for a moment, raising his eyebrows a bit, before turning to the kid, "Well, you see, Shusugoro… When a man and woman love each other very mmMM–!!"

Piccolo grabbed Goku and hissed, "SHHH!!!"

The Namek dragged Goku several meters away before releasing the boy and pointing to his face, "Tell me what's going on down on Earth, _now!_"

"I believe that we could explain things slightly better than Goku, now that we realize that Baby is behind all this." Kibito Kai walked up to them and smiled softly at Piccolo. "I'm sorry I wasn't familiar with Valese, before." He looked to Goku and back to Piccolo, "I always had the impression that Valese was a girl, and you made her out to become some parasite."

Ancient Kai walked up to them and nodded, "Yes, which _could_ have been probable, since Seventeen and Eighteen started off as humans as well at one point."

Piccolo blinked as a wave of embarrassment swept over him, "Then who's _Valese_ really?! Why did I hear Goten talk about..... ahhh…" Piccolo knew the answer before anyone else had to say anything.

Kibito Kai grinned slightly as he was the first to fill in the blank, "I believe he was probably talking about his girlfriend, Piccolo." He chuckled, "Yes… I believe confusing _girlfriends_ and _mortal enemies_ does tend to become a _problem for guys _sometimes!!! Hehehaha!!"

Kibito Kai started laughing hysterically at his own joke as Piccolo groaned. Goku raised his eyebrows a bit and blinked, "I don't get it?"

Piccolo shook his head toward the boy, "Don't worry about his sense of humor. I think it's just a Kai thing."

----------

As Goku finished up his story, everyone who was sitting around him thought a moment in silence. It soon became quite evident to Piccolo that he was dealing with a far more formidable foe than he had imagined at first, but hearing how Trunks had been able to fight and win the battle against Baby – he soon corrected that mistake on his part – was a slightly uplifting thought to hear. So it _was_ possible to fight Baby. Not all hope was lost. He just wished he could have known what kind of mindset Trunks had experienced when fighting the parasite inside of him. If he knew the trick as well, he wouldn't be so intimidated about the thought of the parasite possessing him in mid-battle just like it did Gohan.

"So what are we going to do?" Piccolo looked to Kibito and Ancient Kai as if they would somehow know the answers.

Goku looked up and shook his head, "Well, I know what _I'm_ going to do. I have to get back to Earth and fight Baby!" Goku stood up and made a fist, "I'm ready to go whenever you guys are!"

"Oh no you _don't!_" Ancient Kai stood up and waggled his finger to the boy, "I have something _special _planned for you." He grinned slightly, "Yes, yes! You're going to need some _training!_"

"Training?! Really?!"

Kibito Kai nodded, "That's right, Goku. If you go back the way you are now, you're just going to get defeated again."

Goku beamed at Ancient Kai, "You're going to _train_ me?!" He jumped and spread his hands high, "YES! WOW! That's AWESOME!"

Piccolo's ears perked up as his heart rate began to increase, "What about me? Am I able to train as well?"

Ancient Kai turned to Piccolo and shook his head, "Unfortunately, Piccolo, there's nothing more I can do for you. I sense that Goku has a hidden power I can help bring out in him, but you, Piccolo, have reached all your potential."

"If you like, I can take you back to Earth." Kibito Kai nodded to the Namek. "You had shown an interest in ensuring Pan's safety."

"Pan?" Goku looked to Kibito Kai, "How is Pan doing?" He blinked and his eyes went wide as something crossed his mind, "OH NO!!! PAN!" He brought his hands to his cheeks, "What is going to happen to her?!" Goku took a step back and looked down, "Oh no… Oh no, the poor girl… She won't be able to sense my ki. She probably thinks I'm dead! She's going to see that Trunks is possessed… and Gohan… and… Oh no…!"

"Don't worry, Goku." Piccolo put his hand on the boy's shoulder, "I'll watch out for her."

Goku grabbed his shirt and looked up to stare him in the face, "Don't endanger her! Wait until the right time before you train her. I _don't_ want to lose her to Baby!"

Piccolo let out a quick chortle, "_Believe _me, Goku, _I _don't want to lose her to Baby, either." He turned and thought with a smirk, _And after I'm done with her, you can bet that you wouldn't want _her_ on your tail._

"Tail, huh?" Ancient Kai put two fingers to his chin as he looked at Piccolo and then turned his gaze to Goku. "Yes… yes, that might actually be a very _good_ idea…"

----------

After a great while, of spoken valedictions and other forms of farewell, Kibito Kai and Piccolo stepped away from the crowd and faced each other on the grass field. Kibito put his hand on Piccolo's shoulder and gave a reassuring smile. "Is there any last thing you want to say to Goku or our two other guests?"

Goku walked up and said "_I_ have one last thing to say."

Piccolo turned to Goku and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Piccolo… Tell Pan that I'm alive, okay? And I'll be back for her." Goku's eyebrows knotted downward, "And I _won't_ let her down."

Piccolo looked at Goku for a moment and then turned to Kibito, "Alright, let's go."

"Promise me you'll tell her I'm okay!"

Piccolo kept his gazed fixed on the Kai, "Let's go."

"Piccolo!"

Kibito Kai nodded to Piccolo with an understanding. Piccolo did not need to express in words why he refused to comply with Goku. Kibito already knew.

Piccolo looked to Goku one last time, "If this should be the last time I see you, Goku, take care." He nodded slightly, "I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure Pan gets the training, both physical and mental, that she needs to prepare for this battle."

Suddenly, with a _POOF_, both Kibito Kai and Piccolo vanished into thin air.

Goku sighed and frowned toward the grass. It pained him to know that Pan would not know of his survival, but he knew that Piccolo must have a greater purpose in mind. Piccolo had always been one to rely on strategy more than strength. It would be good for Pan to have him as a sensei. Piccolo did wonders to his own son when he was a child; he was sure that Pan would benefit from Piccolo's company just as well.

He just hoped, more than anything, that Pan would survive long enough to see him again. It would break his heart to lose his only granddaughter.

"Alright then!" Ancient Kai walked up to Goku and slapped his hands together in excitement, "Onto our training!"

Goku turned around and nodded to Ancient Kai. "What now?"

"First off," Ancient Kai looked up to the sky and put a hand to his mustache, tugging slightly in thought, "I think… I think I could _really_ go for a cappuccino." He looked to Goku and pointed to his giant coffee machine, "So hop to it! _Chop chop!!!_"

And with those words, the horrors of Goku's training had just begun…

----------

They materialized into a mound of melting snow, a cold breeze whipping by them both. The night was haunted by a mysterious red glow, the source of which was hidden by a mountain's peak.

"So this is where I leave you," Kibito nodded to Piccolo as they stood on a mountain overlooking Satan City. "I trust you know your way around." Kibito Kai tilted his head slightly as a strong breeze began to whip back his long white hair, "Good luck, my friend."

Piccolo gave a smirk, "Yeah. But I don't need _luck_."

Kibito stepped back and bowed respectfully to Piccolo, "Farewell."

"Wait." Piccolo held up a hand, "Tell Goku that if he comes back before Pan is ready, I'm going to send him right back to the Other World. Make sure he _gets _the _implied meaning_ there. He can be a little thick-headed sometimes."

Kibito Kai laughed, "Alright, I will. Take care."

Piccolo nodded, "Yeah. Bye."

He watched Kibito Kai vanish and turned to face Satan City in the north. Standing still, he closed his eyes and reached out for all familiar kis.

Just his luck. Pan was masking hers, and for good reason. He'd just have to find her on his own. Unfortunately for him, that implied _walking_. Until he found a way to suppress his ki while in flight, he'd have to keep in mind that any unnecessary release of ki would be detectable by Val–_Baby_.

He'd find Pan, though. And when he did, she'd get a run for her money. He'd make sure of that.

----------

----------

-_1/16/05_-

---This Completes the Flashback Sequence---

----------

_Quick Note:_ I'm curious about something. For any of those who play any of the Budokai games (1, 2 or 3), who is your favorite character to play? In Budokai 2, my favorites were Krillin and Kid Trunks, and in Budokai 3, since I haven't unlocked Trunks yet (still haven't played the game through as Vegeta - he's the last on my list of characters to play), the ONLY character I play is Goten. Goten roxor ; ) But I'm curious about your favs.


	40. Loss of Friend, Beginning of Friendship

CHAPTER 40:  
The Loss Of a Friend; The Beginning of a Friendship

The chirping of the crickets was like a soft dirge ringing throughout the dark night. The gentle echoes were the songs of the final farewell in the clearing they had found in East Forest. They had set up torches to give off faint light which cast dancing shadows on tree trunks that were scattered around them. The yellow glow lit Pan's hair as the wind ruffled stray strands that made their way clear of her tattered bandana.

They had dug a small hole for Giru, and Buu had changed a boulder into a beautiful marble tombstone that rested in the clearing. Pan had wished to bury Giru by the desert, since they had first found him among sand, but it was too dangerous to go out into the open, and she feared that a storm may accidentally bury the grave, meaning she'd never be able to visit Giru again. She had to settle for the forest. She only wished that Giru could rest peacefully here, among the lulling cricket chirps and the whispering trees.

The crowd that had gathered was small, and it was a shame that only Pan had the ability to ever know her robot friend. She knew that her Gramps would have loved Giru, and Buu could have played all kinds of games with him if he were still alive. Pan looked up to see her Gramps, Majin Buu, and Piccolo standing around the hole in the clearing. Piccolo was staring off into the distance, and her Gramps was blubbering, issuing loud sobs that shook his entire body.

Pan, however, felt nothing. She knew she should feel sorrow, sadness, despair, possibly even mourn, or fear, or sympathy… But it was all beyond her. She had spent so long crying herself to sleep, there really was no way she could be more depressed. She had hardened a great deal to her losses, and what happened to her earlier that day only confirmed the ending to her innocence. With Giru, Pan buried the last of her hopes. It really was all over, now. She had just learned to accept it.

Pan picked up the pillow bag and placed it gently into the hole. With her bare hands, she began to cover Giru with the soil around the grave. Hercule helped her out, pushing moredirt over the remains of her lost friend. After about two minutes, it was over, and Pan stepped back to wipe her hands on her pants and, with soiled fingers, smudged the beginnings of the one and only tear from her cheek.

"Here lies a friend and hero, T20-06 'Giru'," Pan read the tombstone solemly and then looked down, observing her shadow to try to get her mind off the loss. "I'm sorry you guys didn't know him…" She took a breath and then rubbed her hands on her arms in a slightly protective pose, "He… he really made a huge difference on the trip." She sighed, "He even saved my life once. I'm… I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for him." She looked up toward her Gramps and Buu and knotted her eyebrows slightly downward, "He was possibly the most faithful friend anyone could ever have."

"Ah… Ah'm sorry Ah never got ta know 'im…" Hercule sniffed loudly, "But… but Ah'm glad that ya were able ta find such a faithful friend…"

A long silence drifted among them as everyone stood in silence, thinking of better days. Pan felt the wind ruffle her bandana, and adjusted it slightly against her hair. It was torn in several places, and because of that, it was loose on her head. She'd have to repair it at some point.

Now that she thought of it, she realized she should have buried her bandana with Giru. Not just to give to him as a keepsake to remember her and her Gra–a person he knew at one point–, but also as a symbol of the fact that the days that she once knew and loved were over. The final farewell, indeed.

Pan looked up to the crowd and said under her breath, "I know you guys didn't know Giru… but… is there anything someone would like to say? Not just about Giru, but maybe… maybe about other people _you_ may have lost in the past, that we can't bury right now?"

Buu looked up and scratched his cheek, "Buu miss _Bee_…"

"Ahh!! Bee!" Hercule looked to Buu with a somewhat sad smile, "Ah miss Bee, too, Buu." Hercule looked down to Giru's grave, "Yeah… Bee was a good dog."

Pan looked down sadly, "I don't remember Bee."

Hercule nodded, "Yeah, Bee was one of the reasons Buu became good; isn't that right, Buu?"

As Buu nodded, Pan smiled sadly at the tombstone, "Giru was also one of the reasons Tru–a friend– and I became friends…"

Another long pause came between the party, and Pan found herself looking up to stare at Piccolo. "Mr. Piccolo?" She waited for him to acknowledge her, but when he didn't, she frowned and continued, "Is there anyone you miss?"

Piccolo turned his head indifferently to her and grunted under his breath, "No."

"Not even one person?"

"No."

Pan looked away from Piccolo and stared off to the trees, "I don't think you mean that."

Piccolo snarled slightly and shook his head in disappointment, "You have to learn that mourning over the loss of people will only get you nowhere and gives nothing but distractions."

"That's… a _horrible_ way of looking at it…" Pan looked to him with a desperate frown as her eyes went wide.

"It's _life_, Pan." Piccolo gave her a stern glare, "The only way to survive is to move on. You kill to survive. You plan ahead to strategize." Piccolo turned to her and huffed, "That's one thing about humans, Pan. They are _only_ species that I know who looks back to the past in order to face the future." He stared at her unblinkingly, "That also makes humans a weak race. Memories of loss are only weaknesses, and if your enemy ever takes advantage of it, it leads to intimidation." He nodded to her, "And intimidation leads to defeat."

"But why are you saying this _now–?_"

"–Because funerals are a pointless ritual, _especially_ now. Pan, you are being _hunted_, and all you're doing is sitting around and _crying_."

"I am _NOT_ _crying!!!_" Pan could feel frustrated tears swell in her eyes as her fists balled at her sides. "I _hate_ you!"

"Good." Piccolo gave her a smirk, "I _want_ you to hate me."

"Well you're doing a damn good job of it!!!" Pan stepped back and threw her hands before her, "How could you say this crap at Giru's funeral?!?!" She glared angrily as she rose her power, "Humans are not a weak race because we look back at our past. We go out of our way to _learn _from the past, so we never…so we… we never make the same mistake _again!!_"

"You fool!!" Piccolo threw his hands before him, "_Lower your ki right now _or else all of Baby's followers will target us where we stand!"

Pan lowered her ki, but felt anger swell inside her. With a roar, she punched a tree and sent it splintering into a hundred thousand pieces in a gigantic explosion of wood and debris. "I HATE YOU!!!!" She screamed aloud and fell to her knees, pounding at the ground in a fit of rage, "I HATE _EVERYONE!!!_"

Pan felt her body shake in tremors of hatred, of anger, of grief beyond her words. Her body tingled with her pumping blood, her soul shrieking inside her, her words and emotions pounding at her mind, "I HATE GRANDPA!!!!" She felt tears swell and flow down her cheeks, "I hate him for leaving me!!! HE LEFT ME!" Her hands gave way on the ground, and she collapsed, crying into her own flesh, trying to hide her tears in shame from the Namek who stood over her with his arms crossed before his chest.

Hercule watched all of this with a somewhat confused expression, but he could empathize with his granddaughter completely. It wasn't just her world that was coming apart, but his, too. All his followers had deserted him, now worshipping the parasite that not only took over the world, but his own beloved daughter, Videl. Piccolo had no family to mourn for, and by the looks of it, it didn't seem as if he could morn… if Piccolo even had it within him to empathize or sympathize with anyone.

Hercule walked up to Piccolo and hesitantly laid a hand on the Namek's back, but jerked it away before the Namek would be angered, "Uh… Mr. Piccolo… Sir?"

Piccolo gave him a glance and a raised brow ridge that indicated Piccolo really had no interest in what Hercule had to say, but Hercule was determined to say it anyway in defense of his granddaughter, "Pan… she's been an emotional wreck lately. She hasn't eat'n in days… She… She's really been suff'ring, and… Ah hope you don't hold it against her that she's sayin' all those things. Ah mean…" He looked downward, "She really doesn't mean 'em."

Piccolo looked toward Pan, who was still crying on the ground, and said aloud, "What have you been doing to train her?"

Hercule blinked, "Huh? Train her?"

Piccolo grunted in frustration, "Yes. _Train._ What have you been doing to _train_ her?" Piccolo looked to him in exasperation, "You aren't going to tell me that you haven't done _ANYTHING,_ are you?!"

The firelight from the torches caused the sparkles of sweat to glisten on Hercule's forehead. "Uhhh…." The World Champion's eyebrows went up and he closed his eyes with an enormously overly-nervous smile, scratching his hair behind him, "Heh… Heheheh…. Ehhhh."

Piccolo grunted and narrowed his eyes toward Pan, "I thought so." Piccolo huffed and walked up to stand directly before Pan while keeping an unconcerned gaze on Hercule, "I hope you don't mind, but I think I'm going to _take_ her for a while."

"Take her??" Hercule blinked and frowned, "Where??"

"To actually _accomplish _something." Piccolo huffed, "Something you wouldn't know _anything_ about."

Pan looked up and wiped several tears from her face, "Huh?" She looked up to Piccolo and tried to weakly stand on her feet, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't argue with me." Piccolo grabbed her across the waist and flung Pan over his shoulder, causing her to emit a startled scream.

"WHAAA?!" Pan beat at his back, "What are you _doing?!_ Put me down!!! PUT ME _DOWN!" _

"Sorry, kid. You're coming with _me_."

"Gramps!! Help me!" Pan continued to beat at Piccolo while kicking her legs.

Buu stepped forward and stopped beside Hercule, looking to his friend, "Buu make Green Man into chocolate?"

"No, Buu." Hercule shook his head and put his hand out to stop Buu. "Ah think Ah kin trust Mr. Piccolo, here." Hercule stepped forward and gently rubbed his hand on Pan's back, "Just stay safe, Panny. Ah don' know what Ah'd do if anythin' were to happen to ya…"

"Gramps! No! Wait!" Pan tried to reach out her arm to him, but Piccolo grasped her even tighter and began to run through the forest, leaving the clearing, the light, and Giru's grave behind. "Let go of me!!!" Pan beat Piccolo's back again as he ran, "What do you want from me?!"

"I'm going to train you, kid." Piccolo smirked slightly as his legs caused them to almost fly past the trees, "And when I'm done with you, nobody is _ever_ going to mess with you again."

----------

----------

-_1/17/04_-


	41. Training Begins

CHAPTER 41:  
Training Begins

They had been traveling all night, whipping by town and city, heading farther south – or it could have been south, but there really was no way to tell, since Piccolo made all kinds of turns and deviations from his normal path. The only thing of which Pan was aware was that the weather was becoming increasingly warmer; however, before she could really place where she was, she fell asleep on Piccolo's shoulder, drained of all energy, especially after several hours of kicking and screaming for him to let her go, to no avail.

Pan had several restless dreams which she couldn't remember, but when she finally awoke, she felt alone and distanced. When she opened her eyes fully, she realized that she _was_ alone. It wasn't just her imagination.

Pan sat up and rubbed her eyes groggily. Her stomach was churning from her lack of sleep, or perhaps it was from her hunger. The thought of food made her stomach pang even more, but it was difficult to tell if it was from the wrenching emptiness inside or the sickness she had been feeling ever since she realized her world had ended.

Yawning somewhat, she looked around and noticed stone walls around her. The humidity practically clung to her skin like a thick blanket, and her hair itched her from being so oily. She needed a bath, and the more she realized this, the more dirty and grimy she felt.

Reaching up, she felt that she still had her bandana on, and removed it somewhat to scratch her head. What she was experiencing was far worse than hat hair. The humidity really got to her, and practically confirmed that they _were_ farther south. She would probably give her best guess assuming she was in the southern hemisphere, experiencing summer at the moment.

She stood up and felt along the walls, supporting herself as she stood. Her stomach lurched again, and she leaned her body against the stone to keep her balance. Looking down, she saw that her left foot was by a bowl of what appeared to be nuts, and beside that, a cracked coconut. Cursing herself for wasting energy trying to stand, Pan leaned over and picked up the coconut, eyeing it thoughtfully before forming a miniscule ki ball to poke a hole through the inner shell.

After she was done with her drink, she threw the coconut aside and gave a somewhat disgusted look to the bowl of nuts. Seeing them brought back a memory of when she was in space. It seemed so long ago to her, now… She remembered one time when she made it quite clear to Tr…a friend and her – another relative – that she would _die _before ever eating nuts. She'd have to give a similar talk to Piccolo when she saw him.

_Piccolo._ She growled to herself and tied her bandana tight against her head. The thought of him made her so _mad!!_ How dare he do this to her! To take her out here and then abandon her with only a coconut and a bowl of _nuts!_ Where was that baka anyway?! She'd make sure he regretted ever messing with her! She was going to give him a piece of her _own_ mind!

Rolling up her sleeves, Pan huffed to herself and reared her right leg back. With a giant _SMACK _she kicked the bowl of nuts across the cave, causing a hundred high-pitched pangs as all they clattered to the ground. She looked at the cracked bowl for a moment as it lay against the stone, and realized that just that one kick didn't really vent enough of her anger. She'd have to find Piccolo and knock the sense out of him.

Seething inside, Pan clenched her fists and slowly made her way to the mouth of the cave. She emerged to a warm yet dim morning light, with the last shadows of evening slowly waning on the horizon. A light breeze passed, cooling her skin as she looked around and turned slightly to the right, where an endless forest seemed to stretch on forever.

Her first reaction was to wonder where in the world she was. She was unfamiliar with the territory, and it unnerved her that Piccolo took her to some foreign land just to nab her away from her Gramps. What was that baka thinking anyway? It just made her even more upset to think about how he stole her away without her consent.

Whatever slight sliver of respect she may have had for Piccolo through her father's stories vanished completely as her eyes wandered to her left and saw the green Namek sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, meditating.

With a growl, Pan clenched her jaw and stomped over to him as loud as she could possibly muster, causing dirt clouds to erupt around her as she made her way to Piccolo. Reaching out a hand and pointing to him accusingly, she knotted her brow and yelled, "You _monster!_ You _kidnapped_ me!!"

Piccolo opened his left eye a sliver and then closed it again with a grunt, "Good. You seem to have some energy this morning." His eye slipped open again, "I got you some breakfast."

"Yeah, _some breakfast!"_ Pan crossed her arms and frowned angrily, "Just so you _know_, _MISTER _Piccolo, I _HATE_ nuts." She huffed and spun her body away, but turned her face to look at him.

Piccolo opened both his eyes and raised his brow in a frustrated glare, "Well sorry I couldn't whip out the _eggs and bacon_, but out here in the wilderness, those are slightly harder to come by." He lowered his brow, "But I wouldn't suspect _you_ would know that."

"I want to go back to Gramps." With her arms still crossed, she turned her body to face him and gave him a death glare, "Take me back to him."

"Sorry kid, that isn't an option." Piccolo stood slowly and wiped his cape off, "Eat your breakfast. You're going to need some strength for training today."

"I _disposed_ of _breakfast_ already." Pan snuffed and looked away, "And I'm not hungry."

"You might regret not eating anything."

Pan glared at him and reached out her right fist, clenched tightly with anger, "I said I'm _not hungry!_"

Piccolo snarled and grabbed his cap, "FINE! Don't eat!" He tossed his hat aside and gestured for her to come closer, "Come here and get into a battle stance."

"Why?" Pan crossed her arms again and challenged him.

"Because we're going to train. Now get over here."

"No!"

Piccolo could feel his anger rise like boiling acid, "Get over here _NOW_, or else you will regret it!!!"

"Nuh-uh."

Piccolo could feel his body tremble from anger as steam almost rose from his head. His heart was racing as his blood pumped violently with surging rage, "Come here… and get into… a _battle stance… or else I'll FORCE YOU TO!!!"_

Pan narrowed her eyes to him as he stood there panting, and then began to walk as casually and nonchalantly as possible toward him, carelessly adjusting her bandana as if she were the freest girl in the world. When she got to be a few meters away from him, she gave him a glance and then brought her hands up to look at her nails, pretending she actually had a manicure she was tending.

Piccolo could feel sweat form on his forehead as he watched the stubborn girl act as if she were somehow superior to him. He narrowed his own eyes as she brought a flashback to his mind, of another cocky pupil of his who thought he was somehow better than Piccolo. Fortunately, _this_ time around, he had more than thirty minutes at a time to knock some sense into the brat.

Pan spread her feet apart and brought one hand before her and one to her side, in a basic starting battle stance. "Is this better?"

Piccolo felt his temple throb and snarled slightly, holding back the sudden urge for violence, "_Yes_…"

"Okay now what?"

Piccolo tilted his head slightly, "Are you ready to train?"

Pan rolled her eyes, "Sure."

"Alright." Piccolo stood up straight and removed his shoulder pads, throwing them beside his cap. Rubbing his shoulders, he turned to her and nodded as he spoke, "Today we're going to start with the basics: Ground Fighting, since we can't take to the air yet." He paused to see if she had any complaints, then continued, "Your main goal is to keep your power level as low as possible, but invoke the greatest amount of damage." Piccolo moved into a fighting stance and nodded again, "Now, show me what you've got."

Pan sighed and stood straight, "This is stupid. I don't see why I have to do this."

Piccolo grunted, "Just fight me, and I'll show you why."

She flicked her hair and shook her head, "I don't want to fight."

The Namek growled as he felt his temper threaten to rise again. He pointed his left hand to his chin and bared his teeth, "Punch me, NOW."

Pan rolled her eyes again and took two steps, throwing a light punch that Piccolo easily dodged.

"_Again_, but this time, step into it more."

The girl sighed and reared back to throw another punch, making sure to step into it more. As her fist swung, Pan's eyes went wide as she felt a leg whip out and trip her, causing her to fall flat on her face in the dirt.

"You stepped too far into it. Don't let your enemy take advantage of sloppy footwork. _Again!"_

Pan frowned and rolled up her sleeves again, "Why can't I just kick you, then?"

"We'll do kicks later. Right now, punch me."

Pan stepped backward and threw her hands up, shaking her head, "This is stupid."

Piccolo bared his fangs, "Are you going to punch me or what?!?!"

The girl turned her body away and left only her face toward him as she stuck out her tongue rudely, "NO!"

"Then I'll punch _YOU!"_ Piccolo charged her and threw his left fist at her face, knocking her square in the jaw and causing her body to twist and fly with a _SWOOSH_ toward a mountain into which she crashed with a giant explosion of rocks and debris.

A moment passed of silence as Piccolo cracked his knuckles and huffed arrogantly toward the pile of boulders the girl helped him create.

Another moment passed, and a giant rock was thrown aside as Pan emerged, rubbing her chin and scowling, "OWWW!!!!" She pointed to Piccolo and yelled out, "What'd you do _that_ for?!"

Piccolo brought his hands to his hips and cocked his head to the side, "For _every _time you _don't listen to me_, I'm going to _attack you_, got that?!" Piccolo got into a battle stance and gestured for her to come closer, "Now, _punch me!_"

Pan reared back angrily and broke into a run, readying her fist for a pummeling. "HYAAA!!!!" She burst forward, throwing her arm before her, in a wild punch, stepping into it with all the weight she could muster.

Piccolo smirked and tilted his head slightly to the side as the fist whooshed by him in a sonic shock wave.

"How… How did you dodge that?!" Pan's eyes went wide as she looked at her fist in disbelief.

"That was better." Piccolo nodded, "But not good enough." He gave a pleased grunt and gestured to his face a second time, "_Again!_"

Pan roared, "I'm going to make you pay for punching me!!!" She threw her whole body into the next punch, while issuing a frustrated scream that turned from bloody to surprised as her body suddenly failed to make contact. With a quick shriek, she lost her balance and fell face-forward as Piccolo easily dodged his entire body away in time.

"_Again!_"

Pan picked herself up and brushed loose strands of hair back. She lowered her brow and snarled with great contempt for the Namek. "You… You took me away from Gramps! I hate you!!" She ran forward and threw a punch forward, but missed him by a whole foot.

"Focus your anger. _Again!_"

"And… And I hate Grandpa! I HATE HIM!!!" With two fists, she threw a punch and when whipped around to throw her other fist where she thought Piccolo would dodge, but both times she missed.

"_Again!_"

"Just shut up and let me punch you!!!"

Piccolo kicked his knee out, smacking her in the gut as he brought his fist forward and with a loud _CRACK_, smacked Pan in the jaw, sending her into another mountain.

A giant cloud rose from the collapsing boulders and ash and debris scattering around like brown, dry rain.

Pan emerged, throwing several boulders to the side as she screamed and got into a battle defense position, "Why'd you do that?!"

Piccolo looked at her coldly, "You didn't punch me." He crossed his arms and waited for his pupil to come closer before looking to the sky and smirking slightly, "Okay, the rules have changed. For every time you miss a swing, I'm going to attack you."

Pan rubbed her jaw and narrowed her eyes, "You can't just change the rules like that!!"

"Oh yeah?" Piccolo took her lowered defenses as an opening and fazed out of vision, reappearing before her with a loud, "HNNF!!" and nailed her in the stomach before she even had a chance to cry out in surprise.

With a loud gasp, she was thrown backward into the boulders again, falling hard against the rocks. When Pan emerged again, her hands were squeezed against her stomach as she coughed up blood.

Piccolo stood over her with her arms crossed, "There _ARE _no rules on the battlefield. Even _honor_ does not exist among those who have no morals. _Baby has no honor_. You have to accept that he will _attack_ you _even when you are down!_"

Pan coughed up more blood and wiped her mouth as she looked up with red in her eyes, "I HATE YOU!" With surging energy, she screamed aloud, and with all her might, swung her fist around and landed a hard punch straight across Piccolo's jaw, sending him flying backwards into the dirt.

Pan stood up, smacking her fists against each other with a hard scowl across her features. "Take that you monster!"

"Heheheh…" Piccolo sat up and wiped some blood from his mouth. "Good." He stood up straight and dusted himself off, "But not good enough." He smirked, "I want you to be able to crack my jaw in the end." His smirk increased slightly, "You barely even got me to bite my tongue. Heh." He got into a battle stance and gestured her to attack, "_Again!_"

----------

Hours later, after several hundred runs of punches, it began to become evident that Pan was losing power and speed. Her punches lost the drive and her legs began to give way under her.

Piccolo felt it was stupid to let her rest. He knew she would never improve unless she was pushed, but he also knew that she had not eaten in several days, and would collapse from exhaustion if he didn't lighten up on the girl.

"Alright," he hated doing this, "Time for a break."

They made their way into the cave slowly, while Pan wiped her forehead with her bandana and took deep breaths to regain her stature. When inside the cave and relishing in its shade, Pan panted hard and dropped to her knees, "I need… water…"

Piccolo went to a corner of the cave and sat down patiently, "Well, I was just about to suggest you go out and find some."

"What? Me _find_ some?" Pan stood straight and glared, "What do you think I am? Some _slave girl?_"

"Sure, why not." He yawned, "Why don't you fetch me some, too, while you're at it."

"Ohhh? And what are _you_ going to do? Take a _nap?_"

"Now that you mention it…" he paused and leaned back, "it does sound very appealing." He looked at her for a moment before closing his eyes, "I suggest you find a bit of meat, too. And maybe stock up on some dinner for yourself. It's always good to plan ahead."

Pan put her hands on her fists, "And what are you going to eat?"

Piccolo huffed a slight chortle and smirked, "I don't eat food. I drink water." He opened his right eye a sliver, "And I expect you to bring me some. If you don't, I'm going to be _extra hard_ on you."

Pan felt her temper about to burst, "First you kidnap me, then you beat me, then you _starve me!!!_"

"I offered you nuts. You just refused to eat them." Piccolo closed his eyes.

She growled, "I _hate_ nuts."

Piccolo cracked open one eye, "Are you allergic?"

"No…"

"Then _eat_ them." He lounged back and closed his eyes.

Pan stood over him and felt her stomach wrench inside. "I hate you."

Piccolo remained silent as Pan just stood there, watching him. Her fists clenched and relaxed as mixed emotions of pain, hate, hunger, and depression swarmed within her. Every part of her body was sore because of the kicks and punches he had delivered to her. Not even Vegeta had been this hard on her.

With a final glare, Pan spun around and marched out of the cave muttering curses under her breath, "I hate him. I hate him!!!" When she reached the edge of the cave, she stomped toward the forest with a surge of detest for the Namek. As she walked, her temper grew more and more, until she reached the trees, and in an explosion of anger, she screamed out at the top of her lungs, reaching her hands to the sky as if she could somehow bring back her Grandpa, "I HATE HIM!!!!!"

It didn't even matter who "He" was anymore. She just hated them. All of them. Everyone. She hated her Grandpa, she hated Trunks, she hated Piccolo, she hated Giru and Gramps and Majin Buu, and her Papa and Mama and everyone who turned their backs on her and wished her dead. She cursed them all. And most of all, more than anyone… She hated herself. She hated how she couldn't stand up to Piccolo. She hated how she was so weak, how she was cursed with so much worthless human blood and no tail.

She staggered through the forest without an aim, knocking into trees without a direction or purpose. Her body shook and trembled as she stumbled over roots and twigs, falling into the dirt, and picking herself up only to wander helplessly again.

She hated walking. She hated having no purpose. Her life had no meaning anymore. Baby stripped her of everything, of all those she loved, of everything that ever was significant in her life in any way. Even the dragonballs were torn from her. What use was she? She could never be anything great like her Grandpa. Her Grandpa… he was a hero. He saved the world over and over again and he always came back, no matter what. But this time… This time he wasn't coming back, and she needed him. She needed him more than anything in the world.

She stopped running and clutched herself, leaning against a tree. Sobbing hard, she slowly slid down the bark and rested on the ground, burying her face in her arms.

"Grandpa… Grandpa, why did you leave me…?" Her tears were cold and lifeless, "Trunks…. Trunks…. Why… Why…?" She cried harder, her body convulsing in tears, "Why did you do that to me, Trunks…? Why…?"

Sniffling hard and digging her face deeper into her arms, she continued to sob, "Poor…. Poor Giru…. Poor…. Poor Giru…"

It was a feeling she was being watched that drove her out of her fit. Sensing a shadow come over her, she slowed her sobs down and hesitantly held her breath, a swarm of fear threatening to come over her.

Daring herself to look up, she forced her eyes open and tilted her head to see the source of the shadow.

When she saw her captor, the sick feeling sunk into her stomach again. "Mr… Mr. Piccolo?"

"I knew you'd do this." He looked down on her and frowned solemly, "You need to stop thinking of them."

Pan looked down and felt her body tremble, "I…. I can't…." She sobbed lightly, "I miss them so much…. I miss… -_hic_- I-I miss Grandpa… -_hic_-" With that, the thought of her Grandpa brought an entirely new wave of loss to her as she poured everything out – every last feeling of desperation, of a release of every feeling she had been holding in for so long.

Piccolo watched over her and waited a long time for her cries to soften. After her tears let up, and her sniffling ceased, he nodded to her and put one hand on his hip, "Do you understand why we need to train, Pan?"

There was a pause as his words sunk into the girl. She looked down as she sucked in a sniff, "Y-yes…"

"Are you willing to cooperate with me?"

There was another pause. "I… I… I don't want to… I don't want to have to face them… to face _them_…."

"Pan…" Piccolo leaned down and took her shoulder in a gentle grasp, "Pan, look at me."

Sniffling softly, she looked to his face, her own red and flushed with tears.

"You are not alone. I don't want you thinking that you are alone in this battle." He nodded to her, "Goku is gone, _yes_, but you need to learn how to rely on your _own_ strength. It is healthy to fight for people, to be inspired by people, and to, in some way, avenge people. It displays a great deal of honor to your character if you find motivation through the friendship of others. _However_…." He pointed a finger upward, "You have a problem of relying on others to fight _for_ you, instead of you fighting for others. That's a _big_ problem, Pan. Do you understand why?"

Pan looked at him and just sniffled, not saying anything.

Piccolo sighed and squeezed her shoulder gently, "It's a problem, because when your hero falls, you don't know how to stand on your own two feet." With his other hand, he pointed to her, "Like right now. Your hero fell, and all you are doing is _crying._" He released her shoulder and looked her hard in the eye, "So _get up_ and _fight me._ If you aren't going to train yourself, then I'm going to train you _for_ you." He reached out his hand toward her as if in an invitation to grasp it.

Pan just sat there, looking at him for a moment. Her eyes were thick with tears as she then looked down in shame. "Mr. Piccolo… I…" she sniffled, "I don't really hate you…"

"Yeah, kid," he smirked, "I know."

Pan knotted her brow and sucked in her sadness. With a final intake of air, Pan reached out and took Piccolo's hand as he hoisted her up. She looked down at her hand for a moment, and then looked up to Piccolo with determination in her face, "I…" She clenched her fists and felt a surge of courage within her, "I would be honored if you could train me, Mr. Piccolo. I want to put Baby in his place, for messing with my friends' lives." She wiped her tears away slowly, " I would love your help… if you could help me defeat Baby once and for all." Looking hard at him, she nodded in acknowledgement to him, "And I could use any advice I can get."

Piccolo stepped back and spread his arms wide, "Then punch me."

With a surge of energy and a new purpose to her existence, Pan reared up and put her entire being into the punch, her fist flying in a sonic wave that exploded all the trees around them in a giant firework of splinters. A loud _CRACK!!!_ resonated across the entire forest as the hit smacked Piccolo straight in the face, sending him flying into one of the only remaining trees in the area, shattering it into microscopic shreds of existence.

A moment passed as Pan's eyes widened and she looked down at her fist in surprise.

Piccolo chuckled slightly and stood up from the rubble with a grin, brushing himself off and wiping drops of blood away from his nose. "Good! I see an improvement already!" He smirked and got into a battle stance, gesturing with her finger to come closer. "_Again!_"

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-_1/18/04_-


	42. No More Titles

CHAPTER 42:  
No More Titles

Piccolo sat behind a boulder and sighed, folding his arms patiently as he ever-so-slightly raised his power level.

Two months had passed since Piccolo first started training Pan. The days were beginning to get noticeably cooler, and the sun found itself often covered by graying skies, most threatening autumn rains which would light up the sky in fantastic displays of lightning.

During those times, Piccolo would take Pan out to the center of a giant field and train her extra hard, using the energy from the storm as a shield to mask their rising power levels. He knew that Pan would have to learn how to endure the worst in order to appreciate battling in the best of conditions. Piccolo was teaching Pan everything he could to get her to break the mental block inside of her that made her believe that she was not good enough to take down some of Baby's strongest fighters.

These last two months, Pan had improved a great deal. It was not that she was physically stronger, but she had been developing a faster reaction time and was quick on her feet. It was getting harder to dodge her punches, and Piccolo found he could no longer block her kicks without having to resort to raising his power level – which he could not do, no matter what, unless it was during one of the occasional thunder storms.

In addition to Pan's speed, her mindset had begun to change as well. It was slight, but Pan was incrementally getting over her depression. After the first few weeks, Pan began to shape up. Her sadness and anger was beginning to get focused into her strikes. Her control of her power level had significantly improved, and her temper had calmed down a great deal. Although it took a while, Pan finally began to _get it_. She finally began to understand the significance of training, and after some time, she actually began to _listen_ to Piccolo. And for that, the Namek was extremely proud of her. She reminded him of Gohan more and more every day. And, with luck, Piccolo might be able to draw out that significant legacy of Gohan, which she still had walled up in her mind.

But even without her access to that potentially enormous power she had inside of her, Piccolo was so proud of her progress, he decided to give her a break. Breaks were rare, but he felt she deserved it. She was cooperating, she was improving, and, although Piccolo would never admit it, she was beginning to grow on him.

So, as a prize for being such a diligent pupil, Piccolo decided to invent a sort of productive game with her, which was somewhat based on the children's game of "hide and go seek." It involved Piccolo hiding in the woods and raising his ki so it was barely perceptible – just high enough so she practice opening up her ki senses more while trying to track him down.

Piccolo realized that Pan had a difficult time reading power levels. For her to have marched straight into Capsule Corporation while Trunks was hiding his ki was absolutely reprehensible on her part, and Piccolo gave her his piece of mind for a good three weeks following that incident. He _still_ castigated her for almost screwing up _everything_ by encountering one of Baby's strongest fighters. At the time, there was no way Pan could _ever_ match up to Trunks. And that fool knew it, too, trying to force himself on her as if she were some rag doll. She had better be glad Piccolo arrived in time. If it weren't for her spiking her ki, however brief it was, Piccolo would never have found her.

Speaking of _finding_… Piccolo frowned and adjusted his seated position against the boulder. Pan should have found him by now. He dared not raise his ki any higher, but it was at a level which Pan _should_ have been able to sense. He'd have to do this more with her, so she could learn how to sense kis better. When she would find him, he'd be sure to pummel the sanity out of her. So much for being proud of her! She needed a lot more work done, and Piccolo would be sure to beat it into her. Five minutes of searching for him was just inexcusable! It should have taken her five _seconds_ at the most to sense his power, and another twenty to run and fetch him.

He heard something rustle in the brush and stood to face it, getting into a menacing battle stance. Whoever or whatever that was would regret finding him, _especially_ if it was Pan!

"Mmm…..Maahh… Mr. Piccolo!" The girl's voice came from behind several tall bushes which were knocked aside by her body and a gigantic sack she was dragging behind her. "There you are! Guess what I found!"

Piccolo narrowed his eyes and cletched his fists while remaining in his stance, "You were supposed to find _me!_ Where have you been?!"

"Oh… heh…" Pan blushed slightly and scratched behind her head, "Well… I mean… heh…" She smiled and gestured to her sack, "I saw there was this incredible creek that just emerged. It must have been from all the rain we've been having." She smiled shyly, "I saw it and thought you might like some fresh water."

"Huh?" Piccolo dropped his pose and raised a brow as he looked at the gigantic sack beside Pan.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about taking so long. I had to go back to the cave to get the mammoth skin and fill it up." Pan beamed proudly, "And now we have enough to take hot baths right in our own cave!"

Piccolo could not help but blink as he realized all his anger for the girl had just been knocked right out of him by what she had done. Relaxing and standing straight, Piccolo smirked and nodded slightly to her, "Good job, kid. I'm proud of you."

Pan blushed slightly as she smiled and looked away, subconsciously reaching up to adjust her repaired bandana.

Piccolo's smirk widened as he remembered how Pan tried to get him to fix her bandana for her. One night, she had come to him and asked him to use his powers to fix the holes in the fabric. He, of course, told her to just throw it out. He realized that rag would only prove to be a problem later on. But, no matter how many times he declined fixing it, Pan would continue to persist, saying the bandana had a great deal of sentimental value to her. So, Piccolo decided, if she wanted to repair her bandana so badly, she should do it herself. One night, when Pan had fallen asleep, Piccolo went and "borrowed" some supplies from a local village. The town was small, but it provided two vital things he needed for Pan: first, a sewing kit, and second, some scissors.

Piccolo hadn't shown her the scissors yet, though. But, if she let her hair grow any longer, he'd have to force her to cut it. She shouldn't rely on a bandana to hold it back. If for any reason that rag happened to get tattered again in a battle, Pan had nothing else to hold her hair back. And, it was one of a warrior's principle rules to never allow hair to get in the way of fighting. All it ever did was give the enemy an additional tool to use against her.

"Mr. Piccolo?"

Piccolo was snapped out his thoughts as he looked down at Pan.

"I also found some berries." Pan twisted slightly to undo an opossum skin pouch she had tied around her waist. "I couldn't believe it! Berries are actually back in season!" She handed the pouch to Piccolo, "I know you don't like eating meat or nuts, but I thought you might like a few fruits."

"Huh?!?!" Piccolo's eyes widened as she handed him the pouch. Nobody had _ever_ given him a gift before. Not even Gohan. Not even Dende. The thought of it perplexed him beyond words, that Pan, the little brat he took under his wing, was actually doing something for him.

Something smelled fishy.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed somewhat as he broke into a sly grin, "Yeah, okay, I get it now." He grunted, "What do you want?"

Pan looked at him innocently and put on a classic grin, clasping her hands behind her back, "Me? I don't want anything..."

Piccolo raised his left brow ridge and threw the skin back at her, "Spill it."

"Heh…" Pan grabbed the pouch and tied it around her waist as she looked down shyly. After she knotted it tightly, she looked up with a slight tint of color on her cheeks, "Well… you see…. um…" She coughed nervously, "I was wondering if…"

Piccolo crossed his arms in front of him, awaiting her request. Whatever it was, he would say no. She didn't even have to finish her sentence, and he knew he would still say no. Out here in the wilderness, Pan followed _his_ rules.

"Well, um, yeah, I was wondering if you could maybe… you know… um…" Pan looked anxiously at him, "teach me that Special Beam Cannon trick?" Her eyes widened, "Oh! I mean no disrespect to your move or anything like that! I think it's great, I mean, you could even teach me something _else_ or a derivative or something new entirely! It doesn't matter, you don't need to teach me anything at _all_ if you don't want to! I'm sorry Mr. Piccolo, I didn't mean to disrespect you at all! I'm so, so sorry!"

Pan dropped to her knees and bowed fully to him as if to demonstrate how respectful she was trying to be. Piccolo looked at her and felt his ears turn a slight shade of pink, half from embarrassment, half from a rising rage that curled his mouth down to a frown and knotted his brows as he watched the girl prostrate before him. His anger built up more and more as he watched her shamelessly venerate him as if he were some religious icon.

"NO!" Piccolo growled, "I won't tolerate this any more from you!"

"Huh?" Pan looked up, blinking.

"You shall NOT revere me!" Piccolo pointed to her, "NEVER bow to me again, do you _hear me?!_ Now _get up!_"

Pan blinked again in confusion as she got to her feet.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson today, and I want you to never _ever_ forget this." Piccolo pointed to her, "You will _NEVER_ address me as _MISTER_ again. You will never call your father _PAPA _again. You will never call Goku _GRANDPA _again, got it?"

Pan's eyes widened, "What?" She stuttered in shock, "But… but…"

Piccolo growled at her with his finger still pointing, "I don't care what you do on your own time, but around me, _everyone_ will be considered your equal. That includes me; that includes Baby; that includes the _Supreme Kai himself_." He watched as Pan stood there in a flabbergasted stupor and felt the need to explain himself, in order for him to get his point across fully, "I want you to realize that, on the battlefield, you should _never_ think of anyone being superior to you because of age, maturity, or experience. Do you understand why?"

Pan shook her head slowly as Piccolo continued, "If you approach a battle with the idea that someone is more powerful than you, that leads to intimidation. And _what_ does intimidation lead to?!"

"To…defeat…" Pan looked down.

"Exactly. That also applies to people with given titles. By the mere fact that you consider me _MISTER _Piccolo indicates that I am somehow formally superior to you."

Pan looked wide-eyed at him, "But you _ar_–!"

"–No I'm _not_. Just _shut up_ and listen to me!!!" Piccolo walked up and cowered over her as he looked down on her menacingly, "Titles don't matter, blood relation doesn't matter, and body size doesn't matter. The _only thing that matters_ is _this_." Piccolo tapped Pan's head with a scowl on his face. "It's how you approach your enemy. Always consider your foe to be an equal. This also applies to people who _could_ _be_ weaker than you because you _don't_ want to make an error of underestimation. They could be holding a greater power inside themselves that you don't even know about."

With a final huff, he growled menacingly and crossed his arms, "I want you to get it in your head that I am no longer 'Mr. Piccolo'."

Pan looked down and nodded, her body trembling slightly.

Piccolo sighed and put his hands on his waist, "Now what?"

"M…P…Piccolo..?" Pan's body shuddered slightly as she dropped the mammoth sack and clutched her stomach, shivering, "D… Does this mean that P…Go… Gohan isn't my Papa anymore?"

"Yes, that is _exactly_ what this means." Piccolo nodded to her. "Your 'Papa' has been dead to us since over half a year ago. I was there when it happened."

Pan's eyes widened as she looked up slowly, tears lining her eyes, "Y…You… You were _THERE!?" _Pan's eyebrows shot down as her eyes flared with rage, "And you let him get possessed?! YOU _LET HIM?!_"

"Pan," Piccolo frowned, "You need to control your anger."

"How could you?! _How could you?!_" Pans fists clenched as she screamed and lunged forward, delivering a punch that Piccolo easily side-stepped. Pan fell to the ground, crying as her body tremored.

"For the same reason you _let_ Trunks get possessed in the first place."

Pan stood, grasping herself with shaky arms. She sniffled slightly and brought up a soiled hand to wipe tears from her eyes. "I… I…" Pan held back her tears and grew silent, trying to push all thoughts of her father and former friend from her mind.

A raindrop fell between the two of them, followed by another.

Piccolo looked up and saw the sky growing darker from a black cloud forming overhead. He smirked slightly and then looked to Pan again. "So are you finally growing up, _little girl?_"

Pan scowled at him and wiped more tears away and readied herself in a battle stance, "I am _NOT_ a _little girl!!_"

"Good," Piccolo grabbed the mammoth sack with his left hand and then walked up to her, grabbing her collar with his right. "because I'm about to teach you a technique that will make _everyone_ realize how their little Panny-poo has finally become a formidable woman."

With that, Piccolo began to drag her with him toward the sparring field; the lightning overhead beginning to clash its ominous foreshadowing.

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-_1/23/05_-


	43. The Good, the Bath, and the Ugly

CHAPTER 43:  
The Good, the Bath, and the Ugly

Pan hesitated a moment before dipping her right toe in to test the temperature. The steam rose from the water in rising billows, the heat condensing thickly in the cool secluded cavern of their large cave.

Finding the temperature to be delectably perfect, she smiled and closed her eyes as she slipped into the large bath, sighing contentedly as she leaned her head back against the walls and felt all her muscles relax.

She couldn't remember the last time anything felt this good. Her physical training drained so much from her, she didn't think she ever would ever feel something this pleasing ever, ever again. She was so glad she found that spring.

She couldn't remember the last time she took a bath. During her trip to space, she was forced to take showers to conserve water, and even before, when her Papa – when her _father_ and mother were still alive, she never made the time for it. She must have been just a little girl when she last had one. That, or it might have been that time when Trunks supposedly bathed with her. She kept telling herself she was glad she didn't remember that, but somewhere deep inside her, a curious spark threatened to make her mind wander to imagining him, what his body looked like. But that was just her stupid hormones kicking in, and she beat herself for thinking like a girl. She wasn't a girl. She was a woman. And women, according to Pan, could control their thoughts.

Piccolo continued to call her a woman while training – a woman who had the potential inside of her to change the world. Although Pan still had doubts about that, she appreciated the thought that she could make a difference. At first, the training was rough and Pan thought it was a waste of time, but as the weeks had progressed, Pan noticed a significant change in herself, and not just mentally, either.

Wading her hands in the steamy water, she looked down to her body and noted how it was thicker, more filled-out, and her muscles were growing, shaping her body into dangerous curves she never thought she could have. If it weren't for Piccolo, Pan would still be skinny and scrawny, but this was something Pan did enjoy – being able to finally appreciate how she was growing up, and seeing how it affected her body in the process.

Pan knew she wasn't very pretty. Her mother was beautiful in her youth, with her deep blue eyes and angular face, and her father had always been attractive, but in a shy and modest way. Pan thought she looked more like her father, which was always good in a way – there was no shame resembling her paternal side, but that also meant she wasn't drop-dead gorgeous like… like Bra, for instance. Everyone thought that Bra was beautiful because she resembled her mother so much in her youth, but nobody ever thought such things about Pan. She was just average, with a somewhat cute face and a bold temper, often emotional if she couldn't get things her way.

And nothing was actually appealing about her. Pan never had anything that made her stand out except her heritage. If boys introduced themselves to her, it wasn't because they thought she was pretty, but because they got some rush of pride for being able to talk to the granddaughter of a celebrity. It often broke her heart when she realized this, and she would run to her father crying. She couldn't remember ever coming home with a smile on her face. It was just unheard of for her. All her friends were fake, people just used her, and she was weak enough that she actually convinced herself she'd go along with it just so she might be able to lie to herself, to tell herself that she had friends.

And she just wanted to spit at the idea that all those phonies never gave her a chance to really be herself around them. She was always too paranoid that she might lose people's friendships, so she let them walk all over her. She was such a weak character. And they were all assholes, and they deserved to be possessed by Baby. Perhaps Baby might have made them into better people, ironically.

She normally would have thought this about everyone in the world, but there was one person whom she did actually befriend, for whom she wished nothing more than freedom. Trunks was the only person who really opened himself to her. He proved to her that good people did exist in the world, and showed her that people could care and show love through embraces and smiles without demanding anything in return. True, she always loved her family, like her… grandfather… but having Trunks in her life really had given her a boost of self-confidence she never knew she had.

Trunks actually made her feel pretty. Although it took a while, Trunks made her feel wanted, too. He was able to see through that short and scrawny temperamental girl, to actually see _her_. He was able to talk to her, to just lie back and gaze at the stars with her. He was her first true friend, and by that, he was her best friend. Her best friend… who was lost, forever. But just when she thought that she was alone and had no one, someone else saved her. Piccolo.

She put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, smiling. Piccolo was a character, she had to give him that. He was so incredibly strict and demanding, it took Pan a long time to be able to look at him without imagining the quickest ways to just kill him in his sleep. Although she knew she'd never do that, she couldn't help but hate him for beating her every single day and assuming she was improving her character from it.

But after about a month, when she realized that she was, in fact, changing, she began to listen to him more. That also had to do somewhat with the fact that she got used to his temper, and it didn't bother her much anymore that he was just a jerk about the way he taught his pupil. The more she thought about it, the more she realized he just didn't really know any other way to teach her, and figured she was going to learn anyway, so he might as well push her harder.

But Piccolo was really holding back on her. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. Although he acted tough and commanding, there was also another side to him that made itself known very briefly when he would sit her down and compliment her on how proud he was of her. It just seemed like a huge character shift for him to be able to do that. She figured it might be the Kami side of him coming out every once in a while, making him a good person. But, most of the time, she could count on him acting like an asshole. It just humored her, though, while working with him. At first, she would purposely try to test his patience just so see how long he could hold in his anger, but those occasions occurred more rarely nowadays, ever since he and she began to get along more.

She tapped the edges of the large bath in a repeating rhythm and began to hum slightly as she enjoyed the water around her, soothing her aching body from all the extensive training. Her voice reverberated along the cave walls, creating a great deal of tone and color to a voice she wished she actually had by nature. After hearing the beautiful sound around her, she began to hum louder, and then eventually broke out into a full song as she smiled and reached over for some shampoo to wash her hair.

"_Would you just stop SINGING?!_" Piccolo's voice shook the whole cave as it reverberated off the walls and made its way over to Pan.

Pan's hand stopped in mid-grasp and she brought it back to the side as she turned her head to the cavern opening, "What's wrong with my voice?!!"

"It's _terrible_, that's what!!"

"HEY!" Pan slammed her fists against the bath wall, "That's really mean!!!"

"Yeah, well, anything to shut you up! I swear, if Baby doesn't end up _killing_ me, your voice _will_."

Pan could feel a hateful lump rise in her throat as her mouth turned to a snarl. With a huff, realizing a verbal fight with him would be pointless, she growled and grabbed some shampoo, squirting some in her hand. Placing the bottle back, she reached her hands up, and, closing her eyes, began lathering it into her hair trying to shut the stupid, stupid Namek out of her mind.

Her hair had grown a great deal over time. She had not cut her hair since before the grand tour, and now it was growing several inches past her shoulders, on the border of being considered long. She had never had long hair before, and it was a nice change in her life. At least her hair made her feel pretty. But it was annoying when trying to wash and dry it. It took twice as long.

"Good. It's always nice to hear you silent."

Pan's eyes shot open as her head jerked to the opening of the cavern, seeing Piccolos standing there with his arms crossed.

It took a moment to register that Piccolo was actually there, standing several meters away from her, and staring her, before it all clicked into her head.

With her eyes going wide, Pan flung up her hands and screamed at the top of her lungs, "AAAAAHH?!?!?!?!", bringing her arms down to cover her naked body as if he could see through the bathtub with some weird X-ray ex-Guardian vision. "GET OUT!!!! GET OUT!!!!" Pan screamed again and splashed waves of water onto Piccolo as if she could shoo him out of the room.

Piccolo just stood there and knotted his brow, "Why?"

"WHY?! Because I'm _naked_, that's why!!!" Pan could feel her face turn shades of pink as she tried to bury her body even deeper in the water, hiding behind the wall with barely her eyes peeking over.

"So?" Piccolo raised a brow as he removed his cape and began to undo his gi belt.

"What are you doing?! What are you _doing?!_" Pan gasped and turned an even brighter shade of red as she realized Piccolo was stripping down, "STOP IT!" Pan looked away and covered her eyes.

"Oh _grow up_, kid."

Pan could hear Piccolo's clothes being thrown to the side and she started shivering from embarrassment that he would be naked in the same room as her. This was far worse than that time she had to strip with Trunks. At least Trunks had modesty!!!!

Squeezing her eyes shut, Pan did everything she could to try to shut the Namek out of her mind. Her attempt didn't last very long before she heard the water splash slightly as he entered with her.

It was just too much for her. Her heart was going to explode, her face itself was so red, it began to turn blue. Pan squeezed her arms around her body, shielding herself as her voice trembled, "What are you DOING?!?!?!"

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing? I'm taking a bath."

"You can't take a bath with _me!!!!_" Pans eyes flew open as her nose began to turn shades of purple, "That's… That's _wrong!_"

Piccolo let out a half snort and leaned his head back, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Did you _hear me?!_" Pan's cheeks flushed back to pink as she tightened her hold around her body, "You can't be in the tub with me!!! It's not right!!! You'll _look_ at me!"

"Oh get _OVER_ yourself." Piccolo huffed and brought his head up to scowl at her, "There is no way I'd ever be attracted to you in the _first_ place. Besides me being parthenogenetic, you're not even the same _species_ as me."

"That–that doesn't matter! I'm still a _female!"_

"And _what?_" He tilted his head, "I should grant you _special_ _priviledges_?"

"N-no…" Pan tried to breathe as she looked down and twisted her legs so she could still conceal her body, but sit in a more comfortable position. "But… but it's just wrong!"

A few moments passed as Piccolo leaned his head back and relaxed in the water, closing his eyes. Pan tried to steady her breathing, lest she somehow get a heart attack from being in the bathtub with someone almost as old as her grandfather.

What really began to annoy Pan were the shampoo suds that were dripping down her forehead from her hair. She couldn't do anything about it without sacrificing one of the arms that was shielding her body from Piccolo, even though he wasn't even looking at her.

Adjusting her seated position again, she managed to bring her knees up while keeping her legs tightly together. With her left hand, she still covered her breasts and with her right, she slowly massaged the shampoo into her hair again, all the while keeping a wary eye for Piccolo somehow peeking.

Piccolo grunted after a time and scratched his chin, "Are you _done_ yet?"

Pan dunked her hair in the water and rose to the surface with a confused frown, "Done with what? Washing my hair?"

"No, I mean your stupid tantrum. Can I look at you now?"

"Not while I'm still naked, you can't."

Piccolo growled and looked up anyway, glaring at her as she kept her knees glued to her chest, "You need to learn how to accept your body for what it is."

"I do accept it." Pan dunked her hair again and when she came up, her longer hair dripped lamely past her shoulders.

Piccolo looked at her hair and grunted, "And that hair has to go."

"Huh? My hair?" Pan looked up and blinked, "Where is it going?"

Piccolo groaned and put his left hand to his face, "Honestly, sometimes I think the idiot gene runs in Goku's family."

Pan's eyes widened, "_What_ did you just call me?!"

Piccolo grunted, "I called you an idiot. I _also_ am calling you immature and self-centered."

Pan's face turned red again, but for a completely different purpose as her eyes lit on fire, "You take that back."

"No." Piccolo shook his head, "Not until I give you a lesson for the day."

"A lesson?" Pan groaned and sunk her head lower in the water. "Can't it wait?! I thought this is _break _time."

"You only get breaks when you earn them." Piccolo shook his head, "And I have a lesson to teach you right now."

"Can't it _wait_…?"

"_NO!_" Piccolo's eyes narrowed as his mouth bared several fangs, "Now shut up and listen to me. This is very important to know."

Pan sighed and adjusted her knees slightly. Piccolo looked at the water for a moment, and then began rubbing his shoulders for a moment as he looked her hard in the eyes. "Today you will learn about battle dress code."

"Huh?" Pan raised an eyebrow, "Battle dress code?"

"Yes. And don't interrupt me again." Piccolo glared hard and then rubbed his shoulders again after a long breath. "As you may have noticed, most _professional _fighters prefer to fight in loose-fitted clothing. There is a _reason _for this, Pan." Piccolo looked to see her expression, "By wearing loose clothing, you not only allow the body full mobility, but you allow yourself to breathe more easily in the process." Piccolo nodded, "And the best belts are _no_ belts. The belt should only serve to hold the clothing together, _not _hold your stomach in or keep your pants tight against your body."

Piccolo watched as Pan was getting bored, and raised his voice slightly get her attention again, "But the _best_ clothes to wear are _NO _clothes."

"Huh?" Pan blinked, "_No_ clothes?!"

"Clothes are not important, Pan. They are only a socially accepted method of remaining modest." Piccolo growled, "But _modesty_ is a _weakness_." Piccolo shook his head, "Modesty is only significant if a fighter is arrogant by nature and doesn't want to overestimate his own abilities. But if one has _too much_ modesty, and purposely holds back, that can be a problem."

"But I don't see how this has to do with me and being naked."

"Then let me rephrase this." Piccolo coughed and started over, "If you were to be in a battle, and happened to have your gi blown clean off you by a powerful ki blast, you need to be completely comfortable with _fighting_ naked."

Pan's eyes widened, "You're not going to make _me_–?!"

"–No, I'm _not_. Don't worry." Piccolo shook his head again. "But you need to be aware that it _could_ happen one day, and you should not hold back." He looked straight at her, "My main point is, not that you need to fight naked, but that _you need to wear more fitting clothes_ that you can move in _as if_ you were naked."

"What? My clothes aren't good enough?" Pan frowned.

"Listen, kid. You really need a new wardrobe." Piccolo looked seriously at her, "Your shirt flies everywhere, and your jeans are too tight on you. You probably lose a good thirty degrees of an angular kick with those." He grunted, "And besides, you outgrew your clothes a long time ago."

"So what do you expect _me_ to do?"

"Nothing. I'm going to give you a new set of clothes, modeled right after Yours Truly."

Pan huffed, "I don't _want _your clothes."

"Well you're going to _get_ them. And that leads me to another point." Piccolo smirked, and crossed his arms underwater, "As I said before, your hair is coming off."

Pan's eyes widened as she realized what he was implying. Springing back and splashing water everywhere, Pan shouted, "There is _no way_ I'm going to let you cut my hair!!!"

"Well it's _too bad_. It's been decided."

Pan growled and pointed a finger at him, "_WHY?!_ _Why_ does it have to come off?!"

"Partially because it's dress code, partly because your hair gets in your face, but mostly because your hair can be your own worst enemy if your nemesis manages to grab a hold of it."

"But I have my bandana. My bandana works _fine_."

"Don't always rely on pieces of fabric holding your body together, Pan." Piccolo smirked, "Fabric seems to be the _first thing_ to go in battles." He paused as if another idea popped into his head, "Left arms, too. Watch out for those." He chuckled as if he had somehow said something funny. Whatever was humorous about it was beyond Pan.

She scowled and then looked sourly to the Namek, "What if I just tie my hair back with my bandana? Can't that work, too?"

"Nope."

Pan could feel desperation rise in her stomach as she realized she might lose something she had been working on growing for so long, "Oh please, Piccolo! Please! I'll do something with it. I'll tie it back, I'll keep it manageable! Just don't take my hair!"

"Stop whining. I already told you I've made my decision."

Pan could feel tears well in her eyes, "Please, Piccolo. Please…"

Without thinking, she reached out her right hand and tenderly touched his knee in pleading. The sudden intimate contact caused Piccolo to jerk his knee back in surprise, but it was enough of a startle to him to get him to blink and then narrow his eyes before looking away.

A pause lingered on the air for a moment. Then Piccolo muttered, "Fine. You can keep it for now." He paused and looked at her, "_key words: _For _NOW_."

Pan felt tears of joy fall from her face into the bath. "Oh… Oh thank you Piccolo…" She rubbed her right hand against her eyes, "That means a lot to me."

"Yeah, yeah." Piccolo snorted and laid back, resting his head on the edge of the tub as he closed his eyes, wondering why he always gave in to her.

A long moment of silence then passed between them as they both sat still in the warm water, the steam rising in thick clouds and making the room into a giant sauna.

Pan moved a bit, causing the water to ruffle slightly as she adjusted herself to a more comfortable position.

Another moment passed before Pan looked up hesitantly and coughed softly. "Mr.. I mean… Piccolo?"

His right eye opened a slit, "Yeah?"

"I've been… I've been wondering something." Pan looked to him and paused briefly. "Where… Where were you when… Goku… died?"

Piccolo looked at her oddly, "In Other World." He frowned, "Why?"

Pan's eyes widened, "You were in Other World?! Really?!"

Piccolo raised a brow ridge, "Yeah." He repeated, "Why?"

Pan looked down to her knees, her hair still dripping around her, "Did you… Did you see Goku?"

Piccolo wasn't sure how much he would want to reveal to her. If she had any idea Goku would be returning, she'd never be able to reach her full potential. He'd have to choose his words wisely, "Yes, I did."

"You _did?!_" Pan's eyes widened, "How was he? What'd you guys do? What'd he say?!"

Piccolo grunted and relaxed his shoulders, "We sat."

"You sat?" Pan blinked. "What did you… _sit_… about?"

He peered at her, "We sat _about _the grass."

"You didn't say anything to each other?"

"Not really."

Pan looked down, grimly, "Did he say anything about me?"

"Eh…" Piccolo grimaced as he tried to remember what Goku actually said about Pan. "Oh yeah…" Piccolo nodded, "He told me to tell you he's… '_okay_'…"

"Sounds like something he'd… he'd… say…" Pan began to sniffle softly and splashed water on her face to wash away her tears.

"Augh," Piccolo shook his head, "What have I told you about crying? Have you not learned _anything_ in the past months?"

"I'm… I'm…" Pan sniffled, "I'm sorry… I just… I just wish…"

Piccolo sighed and crossed his arms underwater, "What's wrong?"

"I wish Grandpa knew about what happened with the dragonballs, that's all…"

Piccolo was about to reprimand her about using a title, but the rest of her sentence sunk in and caused him to sit back in a confused stupor. "What? What are you talking about?"

Pan sniffled, "You know… the black star dragonballs…"

Piccolo's eyes knotted down in confusion, "Explain."

Pan's eyes went wide as she looked to him, "You… You don't _know?!_"

"Know _what?!_"

"How do you think we got that planet in the sky?" Pan blinked.

"I figured Baby used the dragonballs." Piccolo blinked, "Why?" He paused a moment, "He…" His eyes suddenly widened, "He _didn't!!!_" Piccolo stood straight up, splashing water up in a giant fountain, "HE DIDN'T USE _the_ _BLACK STAR dragonballs,_ _DID HE?!_"

At first, all that Pan could do was gape and stare at Piccolo's body in a stupor. It suddenly struck her that he had no genitalia. Piccolo wasn't lying when he said that he wasn't of the same species. It was just mind-blowing to her.

"EXPLAIN!!!" Piccolo pointed to her in a seething rage, "_NOW!!!_"

Pan came out of her shock with fluttering eyes and a stuttering tongue, "Y-Y… You d-didn't _know?!_"

"GODDAMNIT!!!!" Piccolo screamed and clawed at his antennae, "I didn't know we had a DEADLINE!!!" He threw his fists up in a rage, "_$#&T!!!_"

"Piccolo…! Piccolo, please! Calm down!"

"Get out." Piccolo growled to her. "Get out, NOW!!!! No more baths! No more breaks! No more _sleep_ unless I grant it! We only have half a year to get you up to par!" Piccolo leapt out of the bathtub and stomped toward the cavern entrance. When reaching the doorway, he turned around and screamed, "BE READY IN _FIVE MINUTES!"_

Piccolo stormed away from the cavern with stream practically coming from his head. The whole time, cursing Goku in his head, knowing that Goku, as well, had no knowledge of the deadline. _Goku you'd better come back in time, or else you're going to have HELL to pay!_

And when Goku would return, Pan would be ready. He'd make sure of that. Oh yes, he'd make sure of that.

----------

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-_1/26/05_-


	44. Coffee Break

Note: Special thanks goes to Ann for helping me brainstorm this chapter and what's to come. X)

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CHAPTER 44:  
Coffee Break

"But _whyyyyy???!!!_" Goku panted and doubled over, leaning on his knees for support as he gasped for air, "I _just made you_ another cup!!!"

"Yes, yes, but it was too _bitter_. It was far too _strong_. You need to grind the beans more, to get the _real_ flavor out. So keep on grinding!"

Goku moaned and wiped his forehead, "Can't I take a break or something? I don't know how much longer I can handle this."

Ancient Kai pointed to him, "Absolutely not! I want my _coffee_, and I want it _right_."

Goku moaned and grabbed a hold of the handle again with a sigh. Leaning his head back, he shouted in a whine, "But _I _don't see how this is _heeelping_ me!!"

"Patience! Patience!" Ancient Kai brought his hands behind his back and hobbled back a few steps, "This is all part of your _training_, Goku!"

Kibito Kai gave a concerned frown and leaned over to Ancient Kai, "Elder Kai, are you _sure_ this is working? I'm not sensing any increase in his power level at _all_."

"Patience, Kibito! I have this all under control." Ancient Kai coughed a bit and then stood rigid as he watched Goku groan and continue to grind his coffee. "It's just going to take a bit of _time_, that's all."

"But I'm not sure how much time we have." Kibito Kai shook his head grimly, "We still don't know how Piccolo's progress is coming with Pan."

"Piccolo?" Ancient Kai blinked a moment, "What does _Piccolo_ have to do with this?"

Kibito Kai let out a sigh. "Don't you remember at all?!?! Piccolo stayed with us and then left to go train Pan, who now possesses your Mystic powers."

"Ohhh yess! I remember now!" Ancient Kai looked back to Goku and tightened his hands behind his back, "How _is_ he anyway?"

"Well, Elder, it's been several months on Earth, at least seven. Maybe eight. Don't you think we should check up on them? What if Baby managed to possess them?"

Ancient Kai hummed a moment in thought before shaking his head, "No. No, Piccolo would be wiser than that. But that _does_ sound interesting!" He grinned to himself and felt his old wrinkled cheeks crinkle under his eyes, "Yes, yes, ever since that war ended, things just haven't been the same around here."

A loud and piercing whine suddenly erupted between them, "ANCIENT _KAAAIIIII??!!!_"

"Oh, what is it _now?!_"

"I'm _hungry_. I don't think I can _do_ this anymore without a bite to _eat!_"

"I swear!" Ancient Kai mumbled to Kibito, "I've never seen _anyone_ eat as much as him!"

Kibito smiled and looked at him, "Yes, he's a Saiyan, alright."

"He's _not_ a Saiyan!" Ancient Kai brought his fist out and started shaking it to the sky, "He's a _garbage disposal!_ He eats _everything in sight!_"

"ANCIENT _KAAAIIII???_"

"Oh HUSH!!!" Ancient Kai huffed slightly and muttered to Kibito Kai, "I swear, I don't know what it _is_ about Goku that makes him such a talented fighter. The only thing on his mind, all day, is just food, food, food!"

"Well, he _does burn _a lot of energy during his battles. I'm not surprised he needs to eat so much to keep his power level so high."

"Yes, but I have been keeping his physical activity to a minimum and he _still_ eats this much. It's just preposterous! I've never before seen the catering jet have to arrive four times a day just to support one measly Saiyan!" Ancient Kai grunted, "And he doesn't even _appreciate_ it!"

_"ANCIENT KAAAAAIIIIIII???_"

"AAAhhh!!!" Ancient Kai covered his ears and shook his head with a scowl, "Somebody please shut that Saiyan up!"

"_ANCIENT KA–!!!_"

The old kai interrupted him with a loud, "–_WHAT?!_"

"I'm _hungry!_"

"I _know_ you're hungry! You are hungry now! You were hungry_ five minutes ago! _You are going to be hungry five minutes _from _now!!! So _get back to work!!_"

Kibito Kai raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you being a little hard on him? I mean, he _has_ been grinding coffee for you for the past three days straight."

Ancient Kai coughed and then huffed to himself, "No pain, no gain."

"But, I mean, it _is_ a _little_ extreme–"

" –Is he training under you?!" Ancient Kai turned to Kibito and threw his head before the other's face, "Is he?! NO, he's training under _me!_ _I_ am the wise one around here, and what _I _say, _goes._"

"But Elder Kai –"

"–You know," Ancient Kai interrupted, "This reminds me of a _story_…"

"Oh _no…"_ Kibito sighed and hung his head in his hands.

"When I was young and I was with Celestial Kai, we once met up with Legendary Kai – which wasn't really his _real_ name. It was more like one of those self-appointed names because he was so incredibly _vain_. His _real _name was actually _Vanity_ Kai, which suited him _far_ better, in my opinion, and I normally would have –"

"_ANCIENT KAAAAAIIIIIII????????????_"

"–told… uh… told, him? Uhhh…. Wait, what was I saying, again?" The old Kai blinked and then scratched his head, "I… I can't remember, due to that blasted _Goku!!_" The elder Kai growled a moment and then spun on his heel to face the Saiyan on top of the giant coffee grinder, "_WHAT?!_"

"Can I take a _break?!_"

"Oouuuuu!!!" Ancient Kai clenched his fists together in a frustrated rage, "FINE!!!!!!" The elder Kai shook his fist toward the Saiyan, "But you have to cook your _own_ rice! And everyone else's!!!!"

"Oh _YAY!!!_" Goku jumped down from the giant machine and happily approached them, "I'm so excited! I get to cook rice!!!"

Ancient Kai raised a brow, "You've never cooked rice before?"

"I tried once, but Chi Chi said if I ever touched the rice cooker again, she wouldn't feed me for a week." Goku looked up thoughtfully, "But that might also have been because the machine exploded… But I doubt it."

Kibito Kai gave a wary glance to Ancient Kai, "Are you _sure _you want him to cook?"

Ancient Kai huffed and shrugged, "What could possibly go _wrong? _I mean, it's a _rice cooker_, for goodness sake!"

Kibito Kai lowered down to whisper in the older Kai's ear, "But do you remember _last time_ Goku tried to cook? He thought that grass was a seasoning!"

"Oh pheh!!" Ancient Kai waved his hand as it shooing away the idea, "He's learned his lesson."

Goku stood fast and gave a salute, "Alright! I'm ready to begin rice cooking, sir!"

Ancient Kai turned to Kibito and yawned, "Why don't you show him to the food reserves, Kibito?"

Kibito frowned, "Why don't _you_ show him? _You _want him to cook so badly."

The elder Kai yawned again and walked a few steps back and sat before his ball, "I have a new program I'd like to watch." He looked up and gave a blink and then a grumpy face, "Well?! What are you waiting for?!" He clapped once as if starting a race, "Chop chop!!"

----------

Ancient Kai had been watching the ball intently the entire time Goku was babysitting the rice. Half paranoid that Goku might accidentally break the rice cooker, Kibito Kai stood by and babysitted Goku. Both of them were sitting at the top of the hill as the elder Kai watched Piccolo throw a powerful energy wave toward the girl and watched her deflect it with ease before firing one of her own. The image was staticky, however, as if the picture were experiencing some interference from a local thunderstorm storm or something along those lines, but the picture was still good enough for Ancient Kai to make out the significant changes that Goku's granddaughter had undergone within the last seven months of Piccolo's return to Earth. At least, it was seven months for them. It seemed like barely several weeks up here in Other World. Time passed at a different pace here.

Next to Ancient Kai, the two green shape-shifters also watched intently. Sugoro looked up with wide eyes, "_Wow!_" His voice was nasal and high-pitched, "This sure beats cable! Are you telling me that this is a _live fight_ going on?"

"It sure is!!" Ancient Kai felt his stomach growl and pouted, "I just wish the rice were done by now so I could enjoy a nice dinner and a show." He frowned and looked up the hill to where the two babysitters were sitting and watching the rice intently. "Hey! Kibito!!!"

Kibito Kai looked up and called down the hill, "Yeah?!"

"Isn't the rice _DONE_ yet?! It's _never_ taken this long to cook before!"

"Yes, well, we're cooking for a lot more people, Elder Kai!" There was a pause, "And we had to put in an extra amount for Goku!"

Ancient Kai grumbled to himself under his breath, "That baka Saiyan! He just gobbles everything up, doesn't he?!" He muttered as he shifted his eyes to glare at Goku, "Look at him, taking his sweet time getting my dinner done! Doesn't he realize we're _all_ hungry around here?!"

"Wow, look at that!" Sugoro pointed to the ball, but Ancient Kai wasn't able to turn around in time.

"What?! What did I miss?"

Shusugoro giggled, "It was an _trick!_ Right, daddy?"

Sugoro laughed, "Well, whether it's a trick or not, _I_ sure wouldn't want that done on _me_, _that_'s for sure."

The little boy pointed, "Oh look! The green guy is getting back up! Hoo boy, he sure looks mad!!"

"ANCIENT _KAAAIII??_"

The old Kai cringed at the name. Feeling his temple throb, he turned around sharply and barked up the hill, "WHAT!!!"

Goku was waving as Kibito stood up, gesturing for Ancient Kai to come to them. "The rice is done," the Kai called out, "Come and get it!"

"Oh pfft!!!" Ancient Kai huffed, "Bring it to me!!! I don't want to miss the fight."

As the old Kai sat there, Goku ran up to him with several full plates of rice balancing on his arms and head and several sets of chop sticks in his mouth, which he distributed among everyone who sat by the ball. "I hope you like it, Ancient Kai! I think it turned out really good!!"

The old Kai wiped his chop sticks and then took a bite, only to make a startled face before looking to the Saiyan, "You're right!!!! It's _very_ good!" Ancient Kai nodded proudly, "Goku, from now on, you shall be my official rice chef!"

"Oh yay!" Goku sat down and beamed proudly, "I've never been _anything_ 'official' before!"

Kibito Kai walked up and sat beside everyone with his own plate, "So what's going on in the living world, Elder Kai?"

Ancient Kai took a bite of his rice and said in a muffled mouthful, "Piccolo ish training Pan, like he shaid he would."

"Mmm-hmm!" Sugoro nodded and took a bite, "Itch very entertaining!"

"Wait? Wait? Pan?" Goku blinked and put his plate aside as he got on all fours and peered at the ball, "That's _PAN?!_"

Ancient Kai nodded as he swallowed, "Didn't I just _say_ that?! I just _said_ that it was Pan. I'm _never_ wrong! When have I _ever_ been wrong?!"

"I'm not saying you're wrong… but… _WOW!!!_" Goku beamed toward the ball, "She's really grown!! And look at her fighting technique. And her stance! Look at her body language! She looks so confident. Wow, she carries herself like a professional." Goku leaned back and smiled proudly, "Piccolo's been doing a great job training her!"

Kibito smiled toward the Saiyan, "Why don't you tell him how proud you are? I'm sure he'd love to hear a good review from you."

"I can do that?" Goku blinked toward the Supreme Kai, "I mean, you'd let me?"

"Well, sure. If you touch my back, you'll be able to speak to him." Kibito blushed slightly and scratched his head, "But I only have the ability to let you speak to one person at a time. I'm not as skilled in the broadcasting field as the North Kai."

"That's fine. I'd _love_ to talk to him!" Goku stood and placed his hands on Kibito's back. "Like this, right?"

Kibito Kai nodded with a smile, "Right." The Kai closed his eyes and concentrated on the Namek, opening up an interdimensional telepathic gateway that would connect the minds of both Goku and the Namek.

----------

"_HYAAAAA!!!!!_" Piccolo did a roundhouse kick through the pouring rain and landed a hit right in Pan's side. However, before it went through, the girl grabbed his leg and twisted him around, elbowing him in the back and sending him crashing to the ground in a giant _BANG!!!!_ that made all the mountains around tremble from the force of the blow.

"Take _this!!!_" Piccolo stood and did a series of ki shots toward the girl and as they were released, guided them with his fingers to chase her in a spiral that closed in tight.

Explosions of light and energy caused the lightning of the storm to strike the magnetic field that formed around her as she drew the powers in and caught every last one of them, forming them into an orange ki blast that sparked with blue energy.

"Now you're gonna feel this!!!" Pan released the blast toward Piccolo and he raised his hands up to catch the blast head on. The weight and inertia of it were enormous, but he held it back and thrust more of his power into it, controlling it enough to make it his own blast.

The giant ball grew to a gigantic scarlet ball that continued to grow as he poured more energy into it. The lightning crackled around him, striking both trees and mountains as the energy blast grew. When it was ready, he thrust it toward her, "Dodge _THIS!_"

The energy ball whistled from his fingertips as it broke into a sonic boom, aiming straight for her figure. She brought her hands back and quickly concentrated her energy into a blue spark that she also thrust forward, and a wave of energy shrieked from her body, completely incinerating the ball and heading straight for Piccolo.

He brought his arms before him and blocked the blast, spinning out of it as he picked up a boulder and thrust it toward her with all his strength. As she dodged the rock, he appeared behind her and smacked her in the neck, causing her to flinch and scream out in pain. "OOOOWWWW!!!!"

Pan backed away from Piccolo, rubbing her neck, "TIME OUT!" She waved her hands to signal the pausing of the fight.

Piccolo growled and felt the anger rise in him, "YOU IDIOT!!!! THAT WAS _IT_ AND YOU CALLED A _TIME OUT?!_"

"$#&t." Pan hung her head, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, I didn't realize that was it."

"THAT'S the time when the enemy is vulnerable! My _entire left side_ was completely _OPEN_ and you BLEW IT!!!"

"Alright, alright!!! I know I screwed up! I'll do it again, and right this time."

"You'd _better_." Piccolo crossed his arms and waited for Pan to take a breather, rubbing her neck as she gathered some of her energy back.

The entire week, Piccolo had been training Pan to detect vulnerabilities during combat. Every few minutes of fighting, he would purposely leave an area of his body open for a blow, and, at first, Pan was absolutely terrible at it. It involved some quick thinking he didn't even think she was able to do. But, after a while, she began to significantly improve. However, she was easily distracted by her own pain, often unable to detect vulnerabilities because she'd lose her concentration with a blow to her body, such as this case with her neck. He'd have to improve that.

Piccolo growled as he thought of everything he still needed to train her, and so little time left to do it before they'd have to make themselves known. Piccolo hovered a moment, watching her, and then landed on the ground. "I'm going to go grab some water."

Pan landed on the ground and sat on the soaked grass, dripping from both the rain and her own sweat, "Alright, I'll be here when you return."

Piccolo grunted and turned around, heading toward the cave. When he got there, he grabbed a coconut shell and went to the water hole, dipping it into the fresh water they collected every day and took a sip.

Sighing, he sat against the cave wall and took a deep breath. It was amazing how sore his body was. He hadn't had a workout like this in years. It was beginning to get to the point that Pan was actually wearing _him_ out, which surprised him. She had a lot more stamina than he ever thought she could get.

He smirked when he thought of that. His training must really have been working so far. She might be tapping into those Mystic powers after all, without even realizing it.

He reached his coconut bowl to his lips again, but a loud buzz and shrieking pitch startled him enough to spit out his water and drop the bowl in surprise.

Piccolo stood on his feet and got into a battle stance, looking around, "Come out!!! I know you're there!!!"

The buzzing sound echoed in his ears again and the high frequency hum pierced his ears and sent a roaring pang through his head. "Aaaahhh??!" Piccolo grabbed his ears and squeezed his eyes shut, "STOP IT!!! STOP IT!!!"

The high frequency sounded like it was tuning, changing pitches until he could hear crackling "–it working? Can you hear me now???"

Piccolo stood straight and opened his eyes wide. "G-Goku?!" Piccolo blinked and looked around, "Goku??"

"Hi Piccolo!!! How's the training coming along?!"

Piccolo looked up to the ceiling of the cave, "GOKU!!!!" He shook his fist to the ceiling as if Goku could see him, "YOU GET BACK HERE ON EARTH RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!!"

"Woah, woah woahhhh!! What's wrong? I thought you had everything under control."

"I thought I did, too, until I heard that the EARTH IS GOING TO EXPLODE!!!!"

"Huh???" Piccolo could practically see Goku's confused expression, "But that isn't going to happen. We already gathered all the black star dragonballs."

"Yeah, and then _guess_ what Baby did!!! He wished the Planet Tuffle into the Earth's orbit with the _black star_ dragonballs and now, not only is the _Earth_ going to explode, but there's no way of transferring all several billion people over to Tuffle! It's impossible!! Goku, _get back here _and instant transmit people to Tuffle _NOW!!! _It's going to take months, as it is!!!"

"But I _can't! _My _training_'s not done! I can't leave without completing my _training?!_"

Piccolo could hear another startled voice in the background and some conversation break loose.

"Damn you, Goku." Piccolo muttered with snarl, "How is it you aren't trained yet?! You left for a year before Vegeta arrived and you came back ten times more powerful! And now you're gone for a year to fight Vegeta again and you're saying you're not _strong_ _enough_?!"

Her heard another voice in the background mutter something along the lines of "Get away, shoo, give that to me, let me talk to him!"

There was a crackle, and then an old scratchy voice pierced his ears, "Kamicolo?! Is that YOU?!"

"Oh God." Piccolo groaned, "Not _you._"

"Are you telling me that the Planet Vegeta has been _wished back?!_"

"No. I said the Planet Tuffle!"

"YOU BAKA! Planet Tuffle _IS _the Planet Vegeta!!!"

"What??!" Piccolo blinked in complete befuddlement.

"You can't send people _there!!!_ The gravity there is ten times Earth's gravity! Normal humans will be _crushed!_"

"You're saying this _NOW?!_" Piccolo groaned, "So what are we going to do?!"

"I don't know! Can't you make a wish on your dragonbibbles and make the planet the same as Earth's gravity?"

"No, I can't!"

"Can you create a new set of dragonbobbles then?"

Piccolo opened his mouth and shut it tightly as his eyes opened wide. "Oh my great Kais…" Piccolo blinked and stared blankly at the ceiling, "I… I… I _can_, _can't_ I?" Piccolo blinked again and looked down at his hands, "Why didn't I think of that _before?!_" He realized his other set had been given to Dende. Piccolo didn't have a red star dragonball set anymore, meaning he was free to make new ones whenever he liked.

"You're right!" Piccolo clawed at his antennae, "YOU'RE RIGHT!!!"

"See? Didn't I _tell_ you I'm a genius? Yes, yes, I know."

"For being a senile old fart like you, you actually came up with a good idea!" Piccolo shook his head, "But I don't know if we have enough time. It normally takes an entire year to make a normal powerful set. But if I could make a quickie set that had very little power in it, it could take… at least two months. But it would have enough power to change the gravity of a planet, that's for sure. That's an easy task. All that has to be done is removal of the inner core!" Piccolo laughed and almost skipped from joy, "And we get a freebie first wish because I'd have all the dragonballs with me when I make them!!!" He laughed and adjusted his hat. "Get Goku back on the line. I have a message for him."

He heard a shuffling and the mutter of some voices as the line was given back to his old friend. "Goku? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah? Hi Piccolo!"

"Goku, I want you back here in _three months!_ That would have been 10 months since you've left, and we'd have made a wish on the dragonballs for the Planet Tuffle to have its inner core removed. The planet may end up being hollow, but it will eliminate the gravity, that's for sure!!" He grinned, "That means you can instant transmit people without any problems. Except Baby, of course, but _we'll_ handle Baby. You just instant transmit people."

"I don't know, Piccolo. I hope my training is done, then, but I can understand the urgency of this. I'll see what I can do." There was a pause as the frequency threatened to alter a moment, "Well, I'm going to go talk to Pan now, so –"

"–_NO!!!!!!!!!!!_" Piccolo threw his fist up, "You will _NOT_ talk to Pan! She is _NOT TO KNOW _about this, _GOT IT?! _If she knows you're alive, she's going to start believing she can depend on you to protect her! She can't be thinking that! Not after all I've done to train her so far!!! Do you hear me, Goku?"

The frequency was silent.

"Goku?!"

Silence.

"$#&T!" Piccolo kicked the wall.

----------

She sighed, observing her nails as she leaned against a slimy boulder.

Everything was wet. She was wet, the ground was wet, her hat and her outfit and her ears and eyes and mouth and everything… Everything was just… wet. And cold. But she learned to shut out the cold and keep her mind focused on other tasks at hand. She had to get as much energy wave training as she could into her schedule. Spring was only going to last a few months longer before it was going to get warmer again. It was already late November, and it wasn't long till summer would start down here in the southern hemisphere. Just a few more weeks, and then the rains would get light again, and Pan would have no storms to mask her power in anymore.

She adjusted the hat Piccolo had given her, which was modeled after his own. It was heavy on her at first, but she adjusted to the weight quickly. As long as it held her hair inside it, Piccolo was happy, so she made sure to wear it whenever she could.

Piccolo had been gone a while, now that she thought about it. She smirked to herself, _He's probably more exhausted than I am, that old geezer! I sure wore him out!_ She chuckled at the idea that she was beginning to seriously give him problems on the battlefield. Almost every one of her punches struck home with him nowadays. She really _was_ improving.

She yawned in the rain and leaned her head back against the wall, listening to the water quietly patter on the grass around her. Sometimes, when the wind would pick up, the water would fall more heavily and make a sort of scratchy staticky sound as it drenched the world. She noticed it was happening again at that moment, the scratchy sound becoming louder and louder.

She blinked in confusion and looked up. There was no reason why the sound should be increasing in volume. The rain was making a steady downpour, as she saw it.

Suddenly her head pounded with a high pitched frequency, and she doubled over, clutching her hands to her ears, "What the?!?!!" It only lasted a moment though, until she heard a voice come through.

"–an? Pan? Can you hear me, Pan?"

Pan blinked a moment and looked around in confusion. "Who? Who is that? Where are you?"

"Pan?!?! Panny!!!"

She stood up and shot her face to the sky, "Where are you!!! Show yourself!"

"I'm talking to you through Kibitoshin Kai right now! I'm in Other World. How _are_ you?"

Pan's eyes widened as she tried to make out the voice. It had changed somewhat, becoming a slightly lower pitch, but she still could identify his voice anywhere…

Her eyes watered as her chest clenched, "G… Grandpa?"

"Wow Pan, I'm looking at you right now. You've really grown, Pan. I'm really proud of you. How's the training coming?"

Pan whimpered as her lower lip trembled, "I…I miss you, Grandpa…"

"I miss you, too, Pan. I can't wait till I see you again."

"Yeah…" Pan looked down dejectedly, "One day, I guess." She sniffled, "Don't forget about me."

The voice laughed, "Of course I won't forget about you! I'll see you in – … Uh oh." There was a crackle, "I have to go. Kibito is getting impatient with me."

"Wait! Grandpa!" Pan turned around while looking up into the rain, "Don't go! When can I talk to you again!!"

"I gotta go! Bye!"

"NO!! No Grandpa!!! WAIT! Don't… don't leave me again!!!"

Pan dropped to the wet soil and brought her hands to the ground, supporting herself as she hung her head and cried.

A figure stood over her and she could almost hear Piccolo's disappointment as he scowled at her crouched form.

Pan didn't even bother to say anything. She stood up and wiped her face, readying herself in a battle stance. A moment passed and she glared, "I thought we had a spar to finish."

Piccolo smirked and readied himself, "You're on."

----------

1 Week Later

----------

Days had passed since the last giant storm, and Pan and Piccolo had both been waiting on another cold front to come through so they could spar sufficiently again. Usually, during the times they would be needing to hide their ki, Piccolo would make her practice her ground fighting, and sometimes even take stabs at meditation so she could focus her ki more.

But lately, he had not been pressing her as hard. At first, she thought it was because he thought she deserved more time off. But after a while, she began to get suspicious. There was something else on Piccolo's mind, and she wasn't quite sure what it was. But, if she asked him, he always told her it was nothing important, but he'd tell her when the time came.

But a week after he started acting this way, he still hadn't told her, and it was beginning to tickle Pan's imagination, what Piccolo might be up to behind the scenes. While she went outside to train, he stayed indoors.

Pan decided that today, she'd 'accidentally' walk in on him, claiming to need some water. It _sounded_ plausible enough. She just hoped he wouldn't get mad if she discovered a little secret of his. But she just couldn't hold her curiosity in any longer. She had to know.

Holding her breath and working up courage, she stood up and walked to the cave. When she reached the opening, she realized Piccolo wasn't by their usual beds. She walked deeper into the cave and came to the end, where a large crack in the rocks led to the cavern entrance. She thought she heard something coming from the large area, and she snuck quietly through the rocks and entered the large room lit by torches.

The bath frame had been moved to the far corner of the room, and in the middle, Piccolo was leaning over some sort of clay figurine, working as hard as he could to design it, using the edge of a twig to make details in the body.

Pan stood there and frowned slightly. Something about this situation just didn't really sit right with her.

Piccolo was still leaning over the figure when he said gruffly, "Well? Are you just going to _stand_ there, or are you going to ask what I'm doing?"

"Well," Pan crossed her arms, "I figure you're not the type to take joy in sculpting art projects, so," she raised a brow, "what _are_ you doing?"

Piccolo smirked and shook his head, "Give me a name."

Pan blinked, "A name?"

Piccolo looked at her and scowled, "Yes, a _name_. Pick a name."

"_Any_ name?"

"Yes! Just say a name."

Pan frowned slightly and looked up. "Goku."

"_Anything _but that. Say any other name."

She raised a brow, "Grandpa???"

"Try again."

"Should I just make up some name?"

"Yeah, make it up."

"Vershmorgadorf."

There was a long pause. Piccolo just looked at her oddly for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders and got back to designing his clay figure, shaking his head slowly. "Goku, it is."

----------

----------

-_1/25/05_-


	45. The Race to Find the Saiyan

This originally was intended to be the opening scene of my "The Summoning" chapter, but after writing this and realizing it's almost 1,500 words in itself, and considering how I haven't updated in a week, I decided to post this now, as a sort of precursor to my next chapter.

While I still have your attention, I'd also like to make a slight disclaimer. I don't own Dr. Seuss. Although I don't mean for the rhymes to happen, there are just some words that rhyme with "Buu" that I really can't help writing too. X) Yes, that rhyme is intended. All the others are not, lol.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

CHAPTER 45:  
The Race to Find the Saiyan

He growled and frowned slightly, "Just look at 'em, Buu! Just like lambs to a slaughter!" Feeling a trembling sensation return to his limbs, he ducked back behind the car and glanced back and forth to make sure nobody could see him.

Hercule wrapped his thick arms around himself and shivered more from fear than the coming chill. "Ah jus' can't believe it! They're bringin' on _another _load for the people movin' to the new planet." He slammed his fists against the car tire, "Ah can't believe only the strongest on the planet can go!" He turned to Buu, "What does he wanna do? Play a game of Darw'n with these people!"

Hercule stood up angrily and raised his fists, "Well, Ah'm not gonna let 'im control the fate of mankind anymore! Ah'm gonna teach him what's it's like to mess with the _Champion of the W–_ahh!"

A loud _BONK_ to Hercule's head caused him to crash down into the street cement. "No!" Buu shook his head, and continued in a happy carefree voice, "Mr. Satan not fight! Not yet!"

"Well what are we gonna _do_, Buu! These people don' realize that the world is gonna _explode_ in three months!"

The pink Majin smiled and chimed, "Buu and Mr. Satan wait for Green Man!"

"But Ah dunno where Piccolo is!" Hercule shook his head, "Ah dunno if he's dead, or alive, or what happn'd ta Panny er what!" The balding man sighed heavily, "It's _terrible_, Buu! Ah dunno what ta do or how ta fin' her or where to _begin_ lookin' fer h–"

"–Shhhhhh" A gloved hand silenced Hercule as Buu leaned down more, "Someone here!"

Several footsteps made their way to the car and stopped.

There was a long pause, the only sounds being the crowd down the street and Hercule's muffled breathing.

The silence was thick and lasted another moment. Hercule began to wonder if he had been imagining the footsteps in the first place. A cold deep voice spoke out which stopped his thoughts in their tracks.

"I could have sworn I felt his ki, too."

The bone-chilling emotionless voice scared the wits out of Hercule. He felt his stomach clench up and his eyes go wide with panic. Not even the comfort of being pressed against his bodyguard, Buu's, body, made him feel any more comfort. Just hearing the voices of Baby's companions drained all life from him.

A lighter, somewhat more musical voice responded just as coldly, "He could not have gone far."

"He should not have been here at _all!_" The word reverberated against the buildings several times in its heated anger. "We should have killed him first-thing when we discovered he was still untouched."

"It was not Lord Baby's orders."

There was a pause as Hercule felt himself gulp and tried to breathe deeply and silently to slow down his racing heartbeat. The voices were too close for comfort. They were barely even two meters away.

The lighter voice continued on, after the pause, in a somewhat inflected tone, "Speaking of orders," there was a pause, "Whatever happened to the order he gave _you_?"

"It's in progress."

"Gohan," the voice lowered, "I heard Lord Baby is not pleased with you."

"What makes you say that?"

An airplane passed overhead, shaking the ground with its rumble as it passed on. Hercule could feel beads of sweat forming on his face. He could not help but feel a tinge of curiosity as to the order. He leaned his head a bit to hear the conversation more clearly, making sure to keep his curls out of sight.

"He gave you those orders half a year ago. That Saiyan should have been _dead _by now."

The deeper voice growled, "She's been masking her ki!"

"That is _no excuse_." The lighter voice became sharp and angry, "_You_ know that you can find someone even if they mask their ki. She's most likely been training with the Namek." The lighter voice scoffed, "Why haven't you been looking for the evidence?"

There was another pause.

The light voice continued in a low tone, somewhat scratchy as if displaying a great deal of menace, "Or is it that you are… holding _back?_" There was a pause, "You don't still _feel_ for the brat, do you? Lord Baby might not be pleased."

"_Shut up!_" The deeper voice raised in pitch as if its speaker were engulfed in fury, "You _know_ I _only_ live to serve Lord Baby! There is _no other_ thought in my mind," pause, "Save, perhaps, how I would love to _kill you_ right now for believing I'd deceive my _master!_"

"Heheheheh…" The cackle was cold and heartless, "Spoken like a true Tuffle."

There was a brief pause. "But you are right. I've spent too much time waiting for the rat to come out of the hole." An angry hiss followed, "And I have a hunch I know where Piccolo may have taken her."

A slight cackle emerged from the lighter voice, "Why don't you use tomorrow's launching date to seek her out? When she hears that we're all heading to Tuffle for the weekend, she might… forget… to shield her power, since she'll believe no one will be able to sense her."

"That will not work. She has neither a radio nor a T.V. where Piccolo has taken her."

Hercule's eyebrows knotted down as he adjusted himself against the tire wheel. His mind was spinning, wondering how his son-in-law would have any idea where Pan could be.

The lower voice became darker as it continued in a monotone, devoid of all emotion, "But come tomorrow night, she will be terminated." The voice suddenly became slightly more colorful, as if the Tuffle possessing Gohan were smiling for the first time in months, "Lord Baby will enjoy hearing the news as a welcome-home present, don't you think?"

The lighter voice laughed darkly, and suddenly footsteps began again, walking away from the car. Heavier footsteps began to follow them with a once again monotonous tone, "It's just a shame you lost track of Mr. Satan's ki. Next time, Goten, try not to be so careless."

When the footsteps were gone and Hercule found the ability to breathe again, he clutched Majin Buu's arm as if it were the last real solid thing in the world. His mind was spinning, his heart was racing, and his entire body felt faint.

"Buu… Buu! We gotta warn Pan!" Hercule shook his head as if trying to deny the horrible fate that was going to happen to his granddaughter. "They seem serious this time aroun'! Buu! Buu, what are we gonna _do!_"

"Buu help Mr. Satan find Pan! Buu find Pan and mean Green Man too!" Buu stood up and patted Hercule on the shoulder, "Don't worry, Mr. Satan, Buu can sense power levels if there is a battle, but Buu will try to find Pan _before_ the battle." He smiled happily with his eyes squeezed tight and his voice high and cheerful, "Mr. Satan can warn Pan! Buu help Mr. Satan!"

"Awww, thanks Buu," Hercule hugged him tightly, sniffling loudly, "Ah dun' know what Ah'd do without ye…"

For the most uncountable time, Buu turned Hercule into chocolate and stored the World Champion safely away in his body as he shape-shifted his body to look like an ordinary, yet pink, man. There never seemed to be a problem for Buu morphing into different shapes. Nobody ever recognized him in either case.

Buu wandered out of the city and then took to the side roads leading toward the forests. Although Buu could not fly, he could at least get a head start looking for training evidence on rural terrain. There was one thing both Hercule and Buu knew for certain: Pan was keeping herself as far away from West City as possible. Perhaps it would be best to start searching on the other side of the world.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

-_2/6/05_-


	46. The Summoning

Note: If you haven't guessed already, the two voices from the previous chapter were Gohan and Goten.

––––––––––

CHAPTER 46:  
The Summoning

Pan sat up in her futon, her eyes watering as she smiled nostalgically at the photo before her.

It all seemed so foreign to her now, looking at their smiles, the happiness in their eyes as they posed for the picture on the beach. The day had been so beautiful, and she wished that the moment could have lasted forever, with her laughing on her grandfather's shoulders as she held her father's hands.

Everyone was there that day. It was hard to forget the happiness she felt, the acceptance, and the love, of her family and friends. It just seemed like so long ago to her. It had almost been two entire years since she last saw most of the people she truly loved. It still was hard for her to accept it sometimes, that her life, as she knew it, was over.

Piccolo never knew of the photo she had. Ever since she borrowed it from Capsule Corp, she kept it hidden among her clothes, tucked away in her jeans' pocket. If he saw that she still held attachments to her past, he would most probably be disappointed with her, and that's the last thing she wanted. So, she had to keep it a secret, as long as she could.

She felt no guilt about holding something back from him, though, because she'd been suspecting he had been up to something big these past two months. She somewhat made an educated guess as to his intentions, but she did everything she could to not judge a situation by assumptions. That was one of the principle rules Piccolo had taught her, and it was one of the few she decided to rigidly stick by.

But she couldn't help but wonder and marvel at the clay figurine that rested by his futon. It had taken him a great deal of effort to create, and the intricate patterns and scriptures on it were foreign to her, as if written in some other language or code. But, even though it was made of clay, it held a great life to it, and she had a feeling there was something more to it than what met the eye. But what really got her imagination wandering were the small round clay balls around it. All seven of them.

If it were any other number, Pan would have completely disregarded it, but the fact that there were seven balls surrounding a dragon happened to perk her interest. She wasn't even sure what the dragon clay figurine _was_, but every time she would ask him, he would just grunt and tell her she'd find out one day, as if it were some kind of surprise.

Pan tucked the picture under her blankets and stood up, looking around for any sign of Piccolo. She knew he was in the bath at the moment, but there was no telling when he could get out and try to give her a surprise attack, like he had been doing lately to teach her to always be wary and be on guard, because the times she felt safe were the most vulnerable situations.

Pan smiled to herself as she stretched her legs. Shaking her head with a grin, she mused, _Piccolo is going to teach me how to be as paranoid as Trunks_. With that thought, she let out a chuckle and adjusted her training clothes. Looking down, she observed the outfit Piccolo had given her several months previously. Although she personally thought the colors clashed, the purple gi and orange belt eventually grew on her. She smiled wider as she felt a warm surge of belonging, realizing she was becoming more like Piccolo every day. She laughed aloud when she tried to picture herself as a grouch, folding her arms before her and huffing at everything. The idea just seemed so comical to her.

It was good to be able to laugh again. She had been feeling a great deal happier lately as she began to somewhat adopt Piccolo as her family. She never made it known to him, but she began to really enjoy the times she spent with him, especially the rare moments when they would sit back and talk – or rather, _she_ would talk in the bathtub and he'd listen patiently. But it just went to show how much she had opened up to him. She had not felt this comfort in a long time. Just like the picture she often observed, her happy memories of even the grand tour began to seem encased in glass, just beyond her reach as she'd walk by and give a quick and often nostalgic glance as if walking through a museum, but with places to go and other people to see. It all just seemed so long ago.

She leaned against the cave wall and tried to picture Trunks in her mind. It took a long time for her to be able to say his name again without stuttering or feeling a clench in her stomach. As time passed and she spent more days training with Piccolo, her memories of even _him_ were fading away.

She sometimes would lie awake in bed at night, and try to picture what it would be like if everyone were to magically snap out of Baby's control, and life went on as it should have when they returned to Earth. She tried to imagine how she would be around Trunks nowadays, and what she would say. The thought itself was awkward enough to her, and she just couldn't fathom it ever being the same again. Even if he were to try to befriend her like before, things would just be different. But, she didn't know if they'd be different in a positive or negative way. All she could really tell was that she could legitimately say she was not the same person as nine months previously, and it most likely would affect how she would treat her friends and family.

She glanced over to Piccolo's futon again, and then shifted her stance, feeling a returning wave of curiosity. She usually didn't get time to herself to be able to ponder these things. Even when she would lie awake at night, she could only keep her eyes open so long before falling into a deep slumber, as her physical exhaustion drained her of all thought. So, being alone and awake this like was a rarity. And, if she ever wanted to get a good look at Piccolo's little dragon statue, now would most definitely be a good time.

With another wary look around, Pan let out a nervous breath and slowly and steadily tiptoed toward Piccolo's bed. With each step, she could feel her heart racing and her body tense as her mind screamed how she was doing something naughty, and she should turn back. But Pan was never one to listen to her conscience, however much Piccolo tried to beat a cricket onto her shoulder.

Pan stopped less than a meter away as she looked down to stare at the clay figurines. The balls had dried and crusted some time ago, giving slight rustic cracks along the otherwise smooth surfaces.

Unable to resist her temptation, Pan gave a little mischievous smirk and reached out her right hand to pick up one of the little round balls.

"_DON'T TOUCH THAT!_!"

Pan shrieked in surprise and dropped the ball as her hands went up and her fingers spread wide.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The ball went flying as Pan stepped back. With a little silent whistle, the ball spiraled up and then made its way through a parabola of doom, spinning toward the ground in its last moments of life.

But then something miraculous happened. As it dropped, it suddenly began to glow an iridescent yellow. It was brief, as was the ball's flight, but the brightness of it blinded Pan for a moment as she felt the impact of a gigantic wind-blast knock her backward a few steps, causing her to blink and completely miss the scene that unfolded before her eyes – the split second of Piccolo diving past her with hands outstretched to catch the ball.

When it was all over, Pan clutched her chest above her racing heart and panted heavily, trying to regain her stature as Piccolo stood up, stark naked, with the ball in his hand. Her eyes went wide as she realized she had been caught in the act, and she had almost ruined his project. Just the death glare in his eyes made her feel like she herself had been turned to stone at that moment, except if she fell, Piccolo would let her crumble as a punishment for her misdeed.

There was going to be no mercy on her now. Pan felt her breath catch as she realized Piccolo would never let her forget this moment. Her entire life would be ruined. If he ever held back on her before, he'd never consider it again. What she did was like accidentally declaring war.

A thousand screams of apologies ran through her mind as she just stared at him in a trembling stupor. She kept seeing her epitaph as a foreshadowed vision before her eyes. Her breath quickened as she felt his own eyes bore into hers. It was just maddening, the suspense, the calm before the storm.

Piccolo was the first to break eye contact as he looked down at the ball with a scowl. His hand clenched around it for a moment before relaxing.

His gruff voice had a slightly irritated inflection as he spoke in a low tone, "Do you realize what you could have done?"

There was a pause as Pan collected herself and felt a swarm of guilt within her, but when she tried to release it, she found herself growing angrier with every thought. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism, but Pan's temper suddenly flared as her eyes narrowed, "Well, I wouldn't have dropped it if you didn't _scare _me like that!"

"You shouldn't have even been touching them at _all!_" Piccolo growled, "Is this what you have been doing when I've left you alone? Have you been playing _bocce_ with the balls while you were at it! You might as well have, if you were willing to _DROP IT!_"

"It wasn't my fault!" Pan scowled, "I was going to put it back and–!"

"–What have I told you about learning to accept responsibility!" Piccolo clutched the ball and pointed to her with his free hand. "You…! AUGH!" Piccolo shouted and tore at his antennae with his free hand, "These balls were to remain untouched!" He thrust his fist out, which held the ball, "Do you know what it could have meant if this ball were destroyed? It would…!" He opened his fist and looked down at the ball, "It would…! It…" His eyes widened as his tongue suddenly got knotted in his mouth. "It…?"

Piccolo seemed to have noticed something for the first time, and then looked up at her with a slightly confused expression before turning his head to look at the clay figures by his futon.

"It what?" Pan frowned and put her hands on her fists, trying to keep her eyes from being averted by his body.

For a moment, they both just stood there – Pan, with her adamant stature, and Piccolo in the nude, his towel having flown off during his dash to catch the ball.

It didn't seem as strange to Pan to face him without clothes anymore. Their occasional baths were easier to deal with after she had grown accustomed to him and had learned to trust that he truly was unlike any male she had ever known. She could be as naked as she wanted around him, and he just wouldn't care. She wasn't sure if she'd ever find anyone else like Piccolo for the rest of her life. It had been an odd custom to get used to, but bathing with him had actually become fun after a while.

However, it was completely different to face him standing up, dry and angry. Even though he had no human genitalia, it still somewhat gave her a fluttering stomach as she realized she'd be rude if she were to stare. But as he stood there, holding the ball, she found it hard to keep her eyes from wandering down his body. There was just something so incredibly sexy about seeing such a muscular form, and her mind threatened to wander, to picture a certain demi-saiyan she knew in her life who had a similar build. And while thinking of him, it triggered another thought. It somewhat made her queasy to realize Piccolo was almost as old as her Grandpa Goku. He really could pass as being in his late twenties – if he were a human, at least. It was hard to tell how long a Namek could live, but if Pan could make an educated guess, she'd say he had another few hundred years.

Piccolo didn't even notice her staring at him as he began to smirk somewhat at the ball in his hand. "It… no… they…" Piccolo turned to look at the clay figures by his futon, "They are ready."

"Ready?" Pan blinked and looked at the clay items before her, "Ready for what?"

"It's perfect!" Piccolo laughed darkly, holding his stomach as if trying to restrain himself. "It's nighttime and nobody will ever know!"

Pan could feel her eyebrows knot, "What is perfect?"

"Come on. Take some of the balls. I'll grab the rest."

Pan blinked, "What? _Take _the balls? But you just said that I–!"

"–_Forget_ what I said. Let's move it!" Piccolo grabbed four more clay balls and made his way to the cave entrance.

Pan looked at the remaining two balls and frowned slightly, "What should I do about the dragon thing?"

Piccolo turned his head to her, "Leave it. It's only a model."

"What?" She blinked, "But then why bring the ball things out?"

"Don't ask questions. Come on."

Pan frowned as she followed Piccolo out of the cave and into the open air. It was late, and the planet Tuffle was just setting past the mountain ranges. The sky was a midnight red, speckled by constellations that glittered the sky. The air was significantly warmer – the beginnings of summer. The air smelled fresh and crisp with the new leaves and life of the forest. The crickets chirped all around them. Their song was usually muffled by the cave, but when Pan stood outside and breathed in the open air, the world was a symphony of nature.

Piccolo went out to the clearing and dropped the balls gently on the grass, "Alright, put them in a pile."

Pan walked up and placed her two balls gently next to the others before stepping back. She took several breaths and then frowned as she counted the balls on the ground, only coming up with a tally of six. She looked up to Piccolo with a confused expression, but saw him staring at one last ball that was in his hand.

He gave a smirk and shook his head slowly in thought. He then looked up to her and gave her a nod of recognition.

"Look," he huffed a slight grin, holding out his hand to Pan.

Her eyes widened as she saw what lay in his palm. It was as if a giant mallet struck her with realization, that her suspicions had been right, although it still made no sense. How was this possible?

Pan swallowed her voice as she blinked and took the item from Piccolo's hand. She felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach as her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes watered as she felt herself hold in several sniffles. "A…. A…." She let out a relieved laugh, still feeling awkwardly torn between disbelief and joy, "A _dragonball?_"

She rubbed it and held it up to her face, squinting to see in the dim light, "Three… yellow stars?"

"That's right." Piccolo gave a smirk, "Yellow Star dragonballs."

"It's… It's…" Pan felt her body tense as her emotions gave way to tears of happiness, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen…"

"It's time." He nodded, "Put that ball with the rest."

Pan smiled, sniffled and then placed the Three Star Dragonball on top of the pile.

Almost immediately, a bright glow encased all the balls and blinded the both of them in the darkness. Pan threw her left arm before her face and felt a rush of wind emerge from the dragonballs, their power emanating in pulses as they all lay together – all seven of them.

Pan lowed her arm and then dropped to her knees beside the pile, her arms shaking with excitement, "They glow… They glow like the Black Star balls…"

Piccolo huffed a slight chortle and shook his head, "Have you ever seen an eternal dragon before, Pan?"

Pan shook her head, "No. I don't know what one looks like. But… But I've heard the stories from P–Gohan…"

"This one is going to be a lot smaller than my others." Piccolo smirked while in thought, "These balls were rushed, and so the dragon will not be nearly as powerful as my Black Star and Red Star Shenrons. _But_," Piccolo grinned menacingly, "These will get the job done, one way or another."

"What job?" Pan stood up and blinked at him, "Wait… Wait…!" Her eyes widened, "We're going to call the dragon _NOW!_"

"Heh, of course we are. Don't be an idiot." Piccolo leaned over the balls and put his arms above the balls. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened one as he hesitated in his actions, "And don't say anything _stupid_."

Pan frowned and stepped back a bit to watch Piccolo's hands glow in the pulsating light of the Yellow Star dragonballs. The yellow glow reflected off his entire body, which was still bare. It was hard to keep her mind focused on what was happening. With all the shocks and revelations of the evening, witnessing Piccolo walking around nude, and now about to encounter her first eternal dragon, Pan could not help but think about her grandpa. She now wished, more than ever, that her grandpa could have been there. Goku would have loved to see the dragon.

As if reading her mind, Piccolo's eyes shot open and he shouted aloud, at the top of his voice, shaking the ground around them, "_ARISE GOKU!_"

In a split second, Pan's eyes blinked as she felt herself respond "G-_Goku!_"

At the same time, a bright light emanated from the balls, lighting the entire clearing and forest around them as clouds suddenly formed above them and blocked out the stars one by one. The dark night suddenly became jet midnight black as lightning began to electrify the sky in clashes and roars of thunder.

Great winds picked up as Pan felt her hair suddenly whip by her face. The world trembled for a hesitant moment, and then, in an explosion of light and sound, a great glowing figure _shot out_ from the balls in a breathtaking and awesome display of light.

The light took form above their heads and formed into a giant body of a dragon – an exact replica of the model Pan had seen beside Piccolo's bed for two months. As she stared in shock and in awe of the figure, she felt herself cower backwards, stepping back as if from fear and trepidation.

Her heart raced, her breaths quickened, her eyes fluttered as she felt her courage drain as this overwhelmingly formidable yet majestic being towered over them in a great display of energy and light. It was just unreal to her. She had never seen anything remotely like this before in her life.

"_You who have summoned me,_" the great deep voice of the dragon echoed and reverberated off the mountains and hills around them, "_What is your wish?_"

Piccolo threw up his hands and said loudly and clearly, "I wish that the inner core of the recently restored Planet Tuffle, otherwise known as the Planet Vegeta, be removed and disintegrated from the planet, making the planet hollow!"

There was a pause as the dragon tried to process the wish. Pan looked to Piccolo and said in voice slightly rougher and louder than a whisper, "Wow, you sure made that wish specific, huh?"

Piccolo shook his head, "There's no room for err at this point."

There was another pause as the dragon's eyes glowed red a moment, but then grew dark. Pan and Piccolo stared up at the dragon, awaiting its response patiently.

When the dragon spoke again, it gave an answer which Piccolo did _not_ seem pleased about, "_Your wish cannot be granted. It is not within my power to grant such a wish._"

"What do you MEAN '_not in your power_'" Piccolo shook his fist and growled at the dragon, "I _created_ you! I know you are _perfectly capable_ of performing such a task!"

"_It is not within my power to eliminate matter. What is your wish?_"

"S#-T," Piccolo snarled as he realized the predicament the dragon left him in, "_Now_ what!" He turned to Pan, "Do _you_ have an idea?"

Pan blinked twice, "Whaaa? _Me!_" She shook her head furiously, "_I_ don't know what's going on? How would _I_ know!"

Piccolo gave a frustrated huff and crossed his arms while glaring at the dragon. He stared at the eternal being with unblinking eyes for an entire minute straight, trying to think of alternative ways of getting his wish.

Thinking he finally came up with a plan, he raised his head and said slowly, in a low, but loud gruff voice, "Goku! Is it _possible_ for me to wish for you to _transfer the matter_ of the inner core? Can you do that!"

The Eternal Dragon Goku's eyes glowed for a moment as Pan tried to hide a snicker under her breath.

"_It is possible for me to transfer matter, but there is a limit to the distance I can send it."_

"Great. Just great. More work for _me_. I _hate_ clean-up duty," Piccolo shook his head and sighed heavily as he realized he'd have another job to do after finishing his wish. Clearing his mind and ridding himself of his frown, Piccolo looked up and threw his hands forward as Pan watched.

"Goku!" Piccolo shouted into the great winds of the storm, "I wish that the inner core of the Planet Tuffle, formerly known as the Planet Vegeta, be _transferred_ to orbit the Earth as a _new moon!_"

The dragon's eyes glowed red for a moment, and suddenly all the energy picked up again, with howling winds and treacherous lightning strikes as rain began to pour down.

Pan grabbed at her gi, covering her eyes as water began to pour on her face. It all seemed so surreal to her, the entire situation. It was unbelievable, the power she was witnessing. And to think Piccolo called this dragon weak! Pan could not even begin to fathom the power that must have been within the Black Star dragonballs that she, Trunks and her grandpa had gathered.

Suddenly, the dragon's eyes stopped glowing and the winds died down. The rain, lightning, and powerful thunderclaps immediately stopped. There was a small pause as the world began to get on its feet again, and as light began to return to the Earth.

The clouds began to thin, the red haze of the setting planet once again cast a dull scarlet light upon the sky. If it weren't for the dragon who was still looming over them, Pan might have had a hard time believing that course of events just happened at _all_. But looking at the dragon towering above her brought back an entirely new wave of awe.

The dragon then spoke, confidently and assuredly, "_Your wish has been granted._" Suddenly, another wind picked up as the Yellow Star balls began to tremble and move on their own. "_Until the next time… Farewell!_"

"Huh?" Pan blinked as the dragonballs glowed brightly and began to levitate above the ground on their own. "What's happening?"

The balls suddenly shot up in a great beam of light, rising to the heavens as they lit up the sky in beams of yellow. All at once, they separated in seven different directions as Pan reached out her hand, "Wait! No! Wait!" But, as the world became dark again and the stars began to twinkle overhead, Pan bent forward and brought her hands to her knees, "Why did he go! Why!"

Piccolo frowned slightly and cocked his head to one side, "What are you whining about?"

"We…" Pan looked up with him with a determined face, "We should have gotten _two_ wishes!"

Piccolo looked at her for moment as a pause settled on the air. As he stared at her, his left brow ridge rose somewhat as his mouth threatened to curl up to reach his cheeks. Another moment of looking at her suddenly got his eyes to squint as he gave a full-on grin, and then brought his hands to his stomach as he couldn't contain it anymore, "Hehehehahahahahah!"

Pan frowned, "What's so _funny!_?"

"Hehehahahaha!" Piccolo shook his head as his body shook, "Talk about looking a _gift-horse in the mouth_, hahaha!"

Pan grimaced as she brought her hands to her ears, "PLEASE stop laughing. Your laugh is just plain _creepy!_"

"Hehehehaha… oh wow…. Hehehe…" Piccolo continued to shake his head as if trying to get it out of his system, "I haven't laughed like that in over ten years." He grinned darkly, "Ever since your idiot grandfather actually convinced people to donate their energy for defeating Majin Buu – I mean…" Piccolo chuckled, "your _other_ idiot grandfather. Hehehahahaha!"

Pan frowned somewhat and crossed her arms before her as she watched Piccolo laugh across from her. She could tell he was in an incredibly good mood. He had not _ever_ been in this good a mood ever since she first met him. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she had ever heard him truly laugh before. Being able to get that wish accomplished really seemed to lift a great weight off Piccolo's shoulders, but Pan was slightly confused. If _she_ would have been able to make a wish, it would have been far different.

Pan brought her hands behind her back and shifted her stance a bit as Piccolo's laughter calmed down. She looked down at her feet and shuffled them in the grass as she heard Piccolo take calming breaths. A moment of silence passed between them as they both collected themselves.

"Piccolo…" Pan continued to look at the ground as her eyebrows knotted slightly, "Why…?" She looked up at him, trying to conceal the hurt within her heart, "Why didn't you wish my grandfather, Goku, back?"

"Huh?" Piccolo frowned, "Goku? Why the hell would I wish _Goku _over here?"

"I mean…" Pan looked down at the ground again, feeling incredibly awkward, "You _did_ _name it_ after him…"

"Oh! Hahahaha!" Piccolo grabbed his stomach and shook his head again, "Don't get me wrong. _You_ named it. Or don't you remember?"

"Huh?" Pan looked up, blinking.

"It was either _that_ or … Ver_crap_adorf, hehehe."

Pan suddenly felt a grin come to her face as her stomach spasmed in slight laughter that gradually built. "HeheheehahaHAHAHA!"

They both had a good laugh as all their stress was suddenly forgotten in the warm and musical night.

It felt so good to be able to laugh, to find something funny and be able to feel joy course through her body. For the second time that day, Pan felt an incredible acceptance being around Piccolo. When she was with him, she forgot all of her pains.

It was at that time, Pan realized what Piccolo was to her. He wasn't just a sensei anymore. She stopped laughing and looked at him seriously as he smiled and looked up to the stars.

Piccolo had become her friend, and not just any friend. But a best friend.

She smiled to herself as she watched him. He was a best friend, and unlike Trunks, she'd be able to keep him in her life forever. Suddenly, her future didn't look so bleak.

As long as she had him around, she could find happiness in this world.

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––_2/12/05_––

Note: This chapter ended up being longer than I had planned, so we will have one more Pan/Piccolo chapter before a certain someone arrives on the scene. I still have to squeeze some last things in before I can progress with the plot.

**UPDATE:**

Note 2: Yes, this is still (and always will be) a TP get-together, but things won't be back to normal for them until after the Baby Saga.


	47. Awakening

CHAPTER 47:  
Awakening

Pan stirred, incoherently mumbling to herself as she numbly sensed her body shifting on her mat. She was only vaguely aware of a slight breeze that cooled her temple, but it was enough that her body felt chilled and exposed. Slowly, she opened her eyes in a daze, her vision glazed by her fading dreams.

She moved her lips slightly as she felt feeling return to her body, but her head swam and her mind felt clouded by her lack of sleep. It was still dark, and her eyes were slightly swollen and sensitive from the slight nap that she managed for the past few hours.

Something felt out of place.

The night was almost jet-black and Pan could not see anything beyond the almost imperceptible silhouette of her hand. She turned and felt the ground blindly for a candle. After wrapping her fingers around the wax, she formed a slight energy ball and quickly lit it aflame.

Shadows began to waltz between cracks the cave walls, dancing to the flickering candle and casting an eerie yellow glow on her few belongings she had folded in her corner. She half-warily looked up to Piccolo's bed, but found, to her slight surprise, that the Namek was missing.

She yawned and sat up in her futon, rubbing her eyes sleepily and her blood began to flow again within her. She stretched her arms and cracked her neck, rotating her shoulders to get some feeling back, but no matter how hard she tried to awaken her body, her head still felt like it was swimming in pressure and was going to burst if she didn't get more sleep.

She looked over to Piccolo's empty bed again and groaned, hanging her head as she tried to focus her senses and find his ki. It was hard to think straight through her headache, but she managed to somewhat collect herself as she reached out with her mind and managed to pinpoint him slightly to the south.

She smiled slightly to herself as she shook her head at her own accomplishment. A year ago, she never would have been able to sense that low of a power level. Piccolo was currently masking his ki, yet she managed to find him anyway. Her frequent ki sensing games with him were really paying off. She could sense her improvement significantly.

Pan seemed to have gotten better at everything she did. She was quicker, she was stronger, she was more confident, and most of all, she was more mature. She found it a lot easier to talk to Piccolo nowadays because she was able to picture herself more on his level. Sure, he wasn't much of a conversationalist, but it felt good to feel like she was growing up.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed since Piccolo first started training her. It felt like years. She could be any age now, and she would have no idea. She barely even knew what her reflection was like. Every once in a while, while gathering water, she'd catch a glimpse of her distorted reflection in the small waterfall in the creek, but it was still hard to tell what she really looked like.

However, she knew her body had grown. When she first left for space with her grandfather and Trunks, she had been several inches shorter than five feet, barely coming up to her mother's chin. Her clothes fit her snugly and had a good length. But, as the year in space progressed, her pants seemed to get shorter on her, and while training with Piccolo, he convinced her to abandon her old clothes entirely. It was as if she had gone through a late growth spurt. Unfortunately, she didn't have the opportunity to go shopping for a new wardrobe lately, but it was a relief to know Piccolo could create several gis for her. Although it took a while, his colors really began to grow on her.

Pan took a deep breath and stood up, straightening her purple gi. Bending down, she picked up her orange belt, tinted brown in the candlelight, and wrapped it around her waist. After sighing softly, she picked up her crumpled bandana and tied it tightly around her head to keep her hair back. Whenever Pan enjoyed off-time from training, she usually preferred to wear her bandana over Piccolo's weighted hat. In a way, it was like she was able to cling on to a last reminder of her grandfather. And, like Goku, she intended to wear the keepsake when battling Vegeta. Maybe it might hold a stroke of luck to it, in the end.

Smoothing her bandana against her head, Pan leaned over and picked up her candle, handling it gently as she clasped both her hands around its thin body. Breathing slowly, she turned and walked out of the cave and into the jet-black night.

Without a planet in the sky, it was hard to make out any figures or silhouettes. Starlight just didn't have enough luminosity to provide her eyes with good light, even though Piccolo was able to see just fine. Pan felt helpless in the dark, and cursed herself under her breath for having to rely on a candle to find her way around. If Piccolo saw that she was depending on an accessory to navigate within the woods, he'd castigate her the entire evening.

Hesitating a moment, Pan tried to consider what was best for the moment, and then ultimately decided on pleasing her sensei. Piccolo had been in a good mood all evening, ever since making a wish on the dragonballs. She didn't want to be the one to spoil the mood; so, with a quick breath and a lasting heartbeat, Pan quickly blew out the candle, once again suscepting herself to darkness, but with the intent on finding her way around through another means.

Closing her eyes and reaching out with her senses, she laboriously tried to picture the terrain in her mind. Everything alive had a ki – the grass, the trees, the night owls and crickets which chirped in a symphony of nature – everything. By each small ki, she was able to sense the world and each creature and plant in it. Unlike Piccolo, however, she was new to the practice and her ability to sense such sensitive ki was still limited to a several meter radius, and it didn't help her that her head was foggy, but it aided her in finding her way as she slowly walked through the clearing, past trees and boulders, up a hill, and ultimately, to a small cliff where Piccolo was sitting alone.

When Pan reached his side, she opened her eyes, but could barely make him out in the darkness. He was so incredibly still and silent, she could only make a rough estimate as to where his arms were, and sat a few inches farther than him than she would have, just in case she might have sat on his hand.

The cliff on the hill was not very steep, nor did it fall a great distance, but it provided a nice ledge to sit on and watch the stars, which, in the jet blackness, brilliantly glittered the sky like dancing fireflies. The wind was calm, and the night was cool but not too chilly. Pan suddenly felt an inner peace as she took in the energy around her and the songs that lingered in the air.

After a few moments of silence, Pan turned her head to where Piccolo's dark silhouette sat beside her. She hesitated a brief few seconds, shifting her seat and fingering her candle nervously, lest he be upset that she cracked the peacefulness of the evening, but then forced herself to relax. With a long exhaling breath, Pan reminded herself of the wonderful day she and Piccolo had, and how things were just going to get better from there. This thought brought a surge of contentment coursing through her, flushing her cheeks slightly as she smiled.

"I think…" She tilted her head slightly, "I think I finally understand why you love the wilderness so much."

There was a pause as a fluttering of wings ruffled tree branches a distance away from them.

"Oh?"

"The life here… How you can feel everything, how it's so innocent and pure, that it's… it's indescribable." Pan brought her hands to her lap and leaned her head down, "It's something people have to feel in order to really understand."

"I'm glad you've finally learned how to see without your eyes, Pan." Pan heard Piccolo shift slightly, "But that's not why I like the wilderness."

"Why do you, then?" Pan propped her elbows on her knees and leaned forward, facing his shadow.

"There is no reason."

There was another long pause as the crickets continued their song. The blackness was like a blanket that was just threatening to smother Pan where she sat, just as thick and palpable as the headache that throbbed within her forehead.

"Well…" Pan scratched her cheek as her eyes rose to look at the stars, trying her best to locate any light as her headache threatened to make her slightly nauseous. "What _about _the wilderness do you like."

"Is this why you're up? To pester me about why I _like the wilderness?_ Grow up, kid."

"No, no…" Pan leaned back and waved her hands in front of her to correct his faulted thought, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Pan shook her head and leaned it against her propped hands again, "Sorry, never mind."

Piccolo huffed grouchily and shifted his seat again, "Yeah, yeah." His cape flapped slightly in the wind as his body turned to face her, "Get back to bed."

"What time is it?"

"Early; late; whatever, the sun is going to rise in about an hour, so if I were you I'd get some sleep. I'm not going easy on you tomorrow."

There was a pause as Pan sat up and fingered her candle gently. "Have you slept at all?"

"I'll sleep later."

Pan raised an eyebrow as a slight tingle of confusion touched her eyes, "Is there something else of greater importance or something?" She tried to make his silhouette out from the slight starlight, but her eyes just refused to adjust. "Why are you out here, anyway? I mean, why are you up?"

She could feel his eyes on hers and knew very well that his eyes could see through almost anything, light or dark. There were some times when Piccolo had been able to make out details of far-away objects or people using his talents. He claimed his third eye was just an extension of his ki control, sensing minute details and being able to picture it in his mind, but Pan believed it also had to do with how he was partly Kami, whom her grandfather had claimed to have an ability to picture scenes from great distances.

His eyes were still watching her as the silence progressed. It began to make Pan slightly edgy when he didn't respond right away, and every succeeding moment caused her to become slightly more uncomfortable.

Pan tried to distract herself by focusing on the ground below the cliff, but the energy at that range was too small to sense, especially with her clouded head. It would take her a long time to be able to develop Piccolo's skills.

Feeling the darkness closing in on her, Pan continued to finger the candle in her hands. It was getting to the point where she was almost frustrated by her blindness. With a quick ball of ki, Pan lit the candle again and watched as the flame slowly but surely grew in light, casting a slight orange glow on Pan's and Piccolo's skin.

Pan turned her head to look at Piccolo, who was looking up at the sky. He didn't even seem to notice the new source of light, he was so caught up in his thought.

His voice suddenly pierced the silence in its gruffness as he turned his head to face her, and said with a somewhat casual intonation. "Have you ever seen a moon, Pan?"

Pan blinked twice as she leaned forward, "I've…" She knotted her brow slightly, as she looked at him, "Well, yeah, I have, during my trip to space, but…" She then shook her head slightly as if to catch herself, "I mean…" She looked up the stars with a nostalgic smile, "I've _been_ on a moon, too…"

"Oh?" He tiled his head slightly, "Which moon?"

"You've never heard of it." Pan sighed as she remembered the events that happened on the moon so long ago. Subconsciously, she began fingering the ring that lay wrapped around her left ring finger with her free hand as she continued her explanation, "It's a moon called, um…" Pan blinked again and rolled her eyes up to try to remember the name, "Ki… Kick something… Oh man..." She shook her head, "I always remembered it by associating it with kicking Giru. 'Kick Giru'... Kick… Kihhh... ah, _oh!_ _I _know." Pan smiled suddenly and turned to face Piccolo, "_Kikaru_, that's it."

"Huh? Kikaru?" Piccolo frowned into the darkness beyond them, "That name sounds familiar for some reason."

"Nah, you wouldn't know it," Pan shook her head as her gaze returned to the stars, "It's on the other side of the galaxy." Pan felt her eyebrows tilt upward as a wave of nostalgia suddenly hit her, "But you know… a lot of interesting events happened on that moon, _that's_ for sure… Like…"

Frowning slightly, Pan tried to think of a conversation starter, and looked to the ground by her hands as she wracked her mind. When her eyes fell on her left hand, a certain glint of humor returned to them after so long, and she grinned to herself.

"Did you ever wonder where I got this ring?" Pan moved her candle to her right hand and held her left up to the light. The light of the flame glinted off the translucent gold, giving it a bright shine as it mirrored the flame's dance. "I'm surprised you've never commented on it before."

"Yeah, I've noticed it, but I really could care less where you got it." Piccolo scratched his left antenna as he nonchalantly glanced at her hand, "It doesn't interfere with your punches and it doesn't melt during ki blasts, so I found no need to tell you to remove it. Why?"

"Did you notice…" Pan shook her head with a nostalgic smile, "… that Trunks had a similar ring?"

"The glowing thing?" Piccolo knotted his brow in a frown, "Yeah I noticed." He suddenly narrowed his eyes, "You're not going to start making me talk about _jewelry_, are you?"

"No! No…" Pan shook her head violently, "I was just saying… When I was on Kikaru, in order to retrieve one of your Black Star Dragonballs, we had to get, well…." Pan laughed a little while her cheeks flushed a bit, "… married."

There was a long silence, then. And the silence continued to linger as Pan looked at Piccolo with a small frown as she was anticipating what he was going to say.

It suddenly struck Pan how incredibly awkward her last comment was. She had said it as if it weren't that hard to say, but it was something that she had spent months pondering and getting over. It was hard to put herself in Piccolo's shoes, hearing that statement and trying to realize the shock all over again. It was at that moment, Pan wished she could have taken that statement back. The silence was a pure indication that something terrible was going through Piccolo's mind.

The pause continued to linger as her candle flickered in the breeze. Pan searched Piccolo's face as he looked out to the night, staring blankly as his eyes remained unblinking. The moment continued to grow more awkward as the abrupt pause was like a blade that sliced through her entire evening. Pan felt a few beads of sweat appear on her forehead as her cheeks flushed again and she coughed as she reached up to scratch her head.

The crickets chirped in the background as Pan cleared her throat. She uncomfortably shifted her seat, unsure of what to say. She wanted to back her last comment up with something, but the pause had already been too long by this point. It was Piccolo's move, and her head began to throb even more as her heart beat loud enough that she thought it could rival all the insects in the entire wilderness. She tried to keep her breathing stable and calm so as not to get dizzy from her anxiety, but as the moments dragged on, she was beginning to lose her nerve.

Just when she felt her head beginning to spin, however, the silence was broken as Piccolo suddenly coughed and turned his head to face her. His eyes were hard as they pierced her own for a moment before slowly lowering to study the ring on her left hand.

When he spoke, it was monotone, almost as if nonchalantly thrown into the wind, "It makes sense now."

With that, he turned his head and began to look out to the darkness again. Pan just frowned as she replayed his past comment in her mind. With each recap, her eyebrows furrowed deeper and deeper as the edges of her mouth curled downward. "What makes sense?"

"Why you're _alive_."

Pan frowned even deeper as she felt a tinge of confused anger swell in her chest, "What do you mean, why I'm _alive?_"

There was another gaping silence as she continued to glare at him. The tightness grew in her stomach to the point that she couldn't even sit still anymore. Pan stood up, squeezing the candle tightly in her left land as she loomed down on him, "What do you _mean_ by that, Piccolo!"

"Exactly that. Now _sit down_."

She bared her teeth angrily as a sudden swarm of anger swelled her throat, "You tell me what you mean by that! What do you think I am! Some _defenseless girl_ who _can't fight back_ to save her _own life_!"

"SIT.DOWN._NOW!"_ Piccolo smacked the ground hard with his right hand, shaking the entire cliff and causing small rocks to tumble down its edge toward the dark abyss below. "Don't you _EVER_ talk back to me!"

Pan's anger suddenly left her as quickly as a stampede of wild horses fleeing madly from a predator. She felt her blood drain as her face turned paler than chalk, and she swallowed hard as she plopped herself down without any resistance. She tried her best to keep her hands from trembling, she was so incredibly intimidated. There was no telling what Piccolo would do to her in the morning for that outburst. She wanted to kick herself for acting so foolish. She should have been more mature than that.

"Now that you've finally got some sense back into you," he grunted, "Do you even realize what those rings _do_, Pan?" Piccolo turned to her with a hard glare that sucked the life right out of her.

Her eyes widened as she issued a loud gulp and shook her head, "Ahh?" She raised an eyebrow as she blinked, "Well, um… ahh…" Her gaze shifted somewhat as she slouched her shoulders a bit, "I thought I knew… but… I mean…" She shifted her seat and looked away in embarrassment, "I guess I never really gave it much thought…"

He stared long and cold at her as a silence suddenly made its way between them again. But after a few moments, he turned his head and looked up to the stars, "As the former guardian of Earth, I have had the opportunity to expose myself to knowledge of other worlds within the northern hemisphere." He looked to her again, "And I've learned a lot of their customs and traditions."

Pan swallowed heavily as she felt a few beads of sweat appear on her temple. "And…? I mean –"

"–Did you _know_…" Piccolo interrupted her with a knotted brow ridge, "That only _twenty-five_ planets in this _entire _northern quadrant…" He looked sharply at her, "… have marriages by _law?_"

Pan blinked in confusion and found her tongue suddenly knotted, "Wh..Wha? I-I don't understand?"

"Listen, I'm only going to say this once." Piccolo's glare pierced her through the candlelight, "I personally think that marriages are ridiculous wastes of time, but most others in this universe believe in the idea of '_love_'…" He grunted as if the word had been a filthy word to say, "But it tends to be a popular emotion, and in the course of events, methods of marriage began to be supported by the Kais."

"What do you mean?" Pan raised an eyebrow.

"There was something called," Piccolo looked up a moment, "I don't even know what it's called. Some soul bonding or something, but it doesn't matter. It involves rings, and it was granted to all planets with pure-hearted life-forms."

Pan looked down at her ring as Piccolo continued on, feeling an unsuspecting dread as to what he was going to say.

"The rings…" He continued with a deep frown, "are intended to secure each others' lives together until death do them part. They are a contract in themselves."

"But we have those marriages here…"

"No you don't." Piccolo shook his head, "Here, the vow is only as good as words and paper." He paused to look hard at her confused expression, "But practically everywhere else, you word is _quite literally_ your _bond_." He looked down at her ring again, "And in _most _marriages, _excluding_ Earth, you are not able to _perform_ or _witness_ the _death_ of your spouse without doing everything in your power, to your last breath of life, to prevent it from happening."

"But I still don't understand–"

"–Trunks would have _killed_ you." Piccolo threw a hand before her face to shut her up in mid-sentence. He suddenly began to growl as if another, more menacing thought came to his mind. "But obviously he _couldn't_. And you _know_ what that means."

"That I'm alive?" Pan perked up and tried to give him a reassuring smile.

"No, you _IDIOT!_" Piccolo stood up so quickly, a cloud of dust swirled around his feet. He pointed a finger to her as he raised his voice angrily, "That means that YOU can't kill _HIM! _AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT _**THAT** MEANS_!_"_

"Shhh!" Pan looked around in a panic as his voice boomed and echoed off of all the mountains within their range.

"It's the _end_ for me, AUGH!" Piccolo grabbed at his antennae and paced in a circle. "That's IT!"

"Shhh, Piccolo, it's not that bad! Really!"

"Listen to you, telling me it's NOT THAT BAD!" He pointed to her again and said in a gruff and menacing voice, "That means _I'm_ going to be the one to fight Trunks, and _you're_ going to attack _me_, trying to SAVE HIM! _That's_ what it means!"

"No! No!" Pan shook her head violently as she stood as quickly as she could. "It won't be like that, I swear!"

"To think, I'd be slain by my _own pupil_…" Piccolo growled and dusted off his gi pants angrily. "That's it… That's IT!" He began to storm away, shaking the ground slightly with each enraged stomp.

"Wait, Piccolo! Wait! Where are you _going_!" Pan reached out her hand to try to follow him into the night, but he was moving too fast, and the candlelight only went so far. She was too distraught to concentrate, and blindly began to follow his general direction, trying to make her way to him. "Piccolo! Piccolo, where did you go?"

"I'm going to _bed_." There was a pause as Pan made her way over to the direction of his voice, but found he had already moved on.

"Piccolo… Piccolo!" Pan stumbled and tripped over a rock, causing her candle to fly out of her hand and fizzle out once it hit the grass. Pan landed on her knees and brought her hands down to the ground as she felt the painful heartache of rejection, realizing Piccolo had just walked away from her.

She felt her head become cloudy again and sniffled back several tears. She still didn't understand. She didn't understand why Piccolo just abandoned her like that. It didn't make any sense.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt the darkness close in on her. She remained kneeling on the ground for several minutes as she tried to calm herself, to find her zen, to think of any happy thoughts she might still have after so many months without feeling loved. Even memories of Trunks and Goku caused her to cringe at the thought. She realized, without Piccolo, she really would be nothing. She felt the tinges of depression threaten to overwhelm her again as she suffocated in the darkness, but tried to force them back as she attempted to clear her mind.

"How is it, that whenever I leave you alone, you always are either moping, crying, or feeling sorry for yourself?"

Pan jerked at the words and looked up to darkness, trying to focus her eyes on the voice. Not being able to see anything, she blindly reached out her hands to try to find him, and accidentally brushed his leg. She jerked her hand back as if she touched a hot stove and looked down shamefully.

"Get up."

Pan stood up, keeping a determined look on her face as her eyebrows frowned and she bit her lip, trying to hold her emotions at bay.

"Look at me." At the sound of his voice, the candle she dropped suddenly lit in his hand. He must have picked it up while she had been cradling herself on the ground. The sudden realization of this caused a tint to come to her cheeks as she felt a wave of embarrassment course through her body.

Pan looked up at him, trying to hide any expression, and watched as he looked down at her with a stoic and hard face.

"Tell me, Pan, what is the source of confidence."

She looked unblinkingly at him as she repeated a drill he had ingrained in her mind over the course of the months, "Power."

"What is the source of power."

"Pride."

"No. That is where you are _wrong_." Piccolo shook his head, "The source of power is _knowledge_, Pan, not pride." He looked hard at her, "Those with pride are fools." He waited a pause before continuing, stating calmly and seriously, "However…" He looked sternly at her, "not all those with knowledge are wise."

Pan frowned, "I don't understand…?"

"You must remember…" Piccolo held the candle closer to her, but did not allow his eyes to stray from her own, "That the outcome of a battle is not determined by strength alone."

"I know–"

"–_No_, Pan. I want you to _really _understand what I'm saying." Piccolo's stare turned to stone as he became even more serious in the darkness. The candlelight cast dangerous shadows along his face as he continued, "Don't always rely on strength and speed to get you by in a battle. Always have a strategy, and a backdoor in case things don't work out as planned."

Pan's frown faded as her eyes became confused. "That's a principle rule, isn't it?"

"I just want to make sure you understand that," Piccolo nodded slightly, "because I want to do something I've never done before, but I don't want you to confuse power and pride."

"What are you…?" Pan frowned again as she saw his eyes waver and looked down in surprise when he shoved the candle into her hands. "What…?"

"I want to tell you something you might not know about me." Piccolo walked away a few feet and looked up to the sky. "It's something I don't think even Gohan understands."

Pan walked after him a few paces with blinking eyes, "What is it?"

Piccolo continued to stare at the stars as he said, "It is common knowledge that I am a fusion between both Kami and my original body, Piccolo." He looked over at her, "But there is a third part of me, a part that links me to Dende, back to our days on Namek."

"There is?" Pan frowned thoughtfully.

"Nail… I used to also be called Nail." He looked back to the stars, as if searching for a pinpoint of light that reminded him of home. "And, as Nail, I used to be the successor to a great Namek, my mentor, my father…" He sighed nostalgically and then turned to face her. "Pan…"

"Hmm?"

"You once asked me if I missed anyone."

Pan looked to him in slight confusion. "Yeah… Yes, I did… That was during Giru's funeral."

"I lied to you."

Pan frowned deeply, "Huh? What?" She blinked, "I don't… I mean…?"

"His name was Guru." Piccolo looked down for a moment before raising his eyes to look at her again. "He was… one of the most amazing, honorable people I'll ever know in my lifetime, and he was wise beyond his years."

"What happened to him?"

Piccolo gave a slight smirk and shook his head while looking away, "He passed on to the next dimension. He died of old age. But…" He looked back to the stars as he continued, "His talent… did not die with him."

"His talent…?"

It was around this time, Pan began to realize the eastern horizon was beginning to turn a dark shade of blue. Light was slowly returning to the world, one hue at a time as Piccolo stood there, watching the stars as they began to dim.

"I never was able to master it. But, as a successor to the Namekian rule, I trained to learn it, to whatever degree I could." He took a breath and turned his eyes to her, "I want to do something, Pan. I want to see if I'm able to awaken your hidden powers."

"My _what?_" Pan knotted her brows and made a face, "What are you talking about?"

"This is something that can give you the upper hand, even though you wear a ring that bonds you to one of the enemies. It's a good card to always have in your deck just in case." Piccolo put a hand on her shoulder, earning a blink and a startled gaze from her. "Just relax."

In that moment, Pan closed her eyes, and felt a warmth begin to flow through her. At first, it was like a trickle, a soft and steady flow of power that rippled like small waves within her. But then, suddenly, her eyes flew open as a swarm of energy engulfed her in heat, tingling her mind as she gasped, the intake of air causing her body to shake from the overwhelming power that grew within her.

It only lasted for a moment, but Pan felt as if she had the wind knocked out of her. She felt exhausted, as if her body had gone through a week-long training session, and it took everything in her conscious mind to keep herself from falling to her knees.

"I'm sorry that I could only grant you that fraction, Pan." Piccolo nodded, "The rest, you'll have to unlock on your own."

"That…_fraction?_" Pan gasped and took a step backward as she tried to take a few calming breaths, feeling more alive than ever, but slightly dizzy from the after-effects of such energy flowing through her.

"I never gave you that power before, because I wanted you to learn how to survive without it. Don't rely on that to save your life. Especially…._ Especially_… if you encounter Trunks, and Baby is close by." He shook his head, "You'd find things might get… complicated."

Pan took another few breaths and adjusted her bandana with her free hand as she gave a slight huff, "No need to worry." She smiled warmly to him, "With you by my side, nothing can get in our way. We can _win_ this war!"

Piccolo smirked slightly and tilted his head, "What did I tell you about letting power get to your head?"

Pan let out a relieved laugh and gave him a slight wink as a reply.

Light began to poke through the horizon as the first tints of orange made their way to the sky.

Piccolo looked up and gave a sigh, "Well, might as well catch a last bit of shut-eye." He looked to Pan, "You coming back with me?"

Pan smiled, "Yeah, sure." She looked down and realized she was still holding the candle. With a quick huff, she blew it out, as the light in the sky gave her perfect vision for the walk back.

Pan began to follow Piccolo as they made their way past a few boulders and down the hillside. As she sped up slightly to walk beside him, she turned her head and asked casually, "So, Piccolo… what _were_ you doing up so late, anyway?"

Piccolo gave a half-chuckle as he shook his head dejectedly. "I was waiting up for the moon." He looked to the rising sun and smirked, "I guess I really _did_ wish for a 'new moon'."

He grinned at her as they made their way into the cave, "Ah well… I guess I'll destroy it another night…"

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––3/8/05––


	48. The Other Side

**THIS STORY IS ABOUT TO BE RATED _M  
_**_(Rated M: Suitable for Mature Teens 16+ and Older)_

**NOTE: PLEASE READ** –

Dueto a particularly emotional ride that this story is about to put you guys through, **I feel it is necessary for me to boost the story's rating to _M_**, mostly for the explicit _language_ that people use. Also, the content really should not be read by young kids. It's a little too powerful for a younger audience.

Note, however, that this only applies to the Baby Saga, to a particular "sub-saga" that is about to take place. But nevertheless, fanfiction. net has suspended my story in the past, during Chapters 17 – 20, and **I don't want to risk them "punishing" me again,** but this time**for writing foul language** (namely the "B" word, the "Sh" word, and the "A" word, _NOT_ the "F" word).

**To play it safe, I have to up the rating. **Sorry about that guys. That means that my story won't be available to all the public anymore. You'll actually have to go out of your way to search "All Ratings" to find it. But I think this is a much safer option than continuing to post as Rated T and offend fanfiction. net. Around here, they play God. And the last thing I want is for them to delete my story.

Sorry for such a long Author's Note. Just know, starting as of Chapter 49_, this story isn't going to hold back._ As a forewarning.

Now, ENJOY! )

CHAPTER 48:  
The Other Side

Evil Goten pushed the button and stepped onto the elevator, frowning deeply as he tried to organize his thoughts in his mind. He could feel a low growl threatening to rumble in his throat, and coughed as he reached for another cigarette.

He didn't trust him.

Goten knew Gohan was bad news. There were way too many signs that he was holding back. And it wasn't just the idea of killing the Saiyan that seemed to unnerve him, but the thought of hurting Piccolo often left Gohan averting eye contact.

Before Goten got onto the ship, he had warned Gohan, if he tried anything funny, Goten would be the first to report him to Lord Baby. Gohan then told him that killing Piccolo wasn't his mission, but that he would successfully rid the world of the Saiyan.

Leaving Gohan on Earth was a bad idea. The more he thought about it, the more upset Goten became as he took a long drag of the cigarette. He needed to talk to Trunks about it. If he didn't get it out, he was sure he was going to explode the ship from his rising temper.

The elevator beeped and came to a stop at the eighth level. A digital woman's voice rang _Eighth Floor: Dining Hall_ as the doors slid open. Goten paused a moment before scowling and walking out to the crowd.

The dining hall was enormous and fancily decorated in traditional Tuffle fabrics, all lining the walls in reds and blues. Tables were scattered everywhere, some with a great deal of chairs pulled up, supporting snickering Tuffles as they made small talk with each other.

Goten didn't know anyone that was there. But, they all knew him. Everyone knew him. He was one of Lord Baby's elite, one of his most powerful bodyguards, and the most devoted of all the Tuffles. If anyone challenged him on his rank, they were immediately put to death. No one messed with him; it was as simple as that.

He walked past the tables, ignoring all the eyes that followed him, observing his blue uniform that marked him of a high rank. He concentrated on the Royal Table that lay ahead, distanced from the other commoners, as he took another drag of his cigarette.

When he reached the table, he looked around a moment, and pulled out the chair to sit down, leaning forward on the table as he tapped his ashes into the tray.

"You know, you could get addicted."

Goten smirked and brought his left hand to his mouth again as he took another drag. Exhaling quickly, he snorted, "Screw you."

Evil Trunks snickered slightly and shook his head. "So." He leaned back in his chair and looked seriously to Goten, "What did you want to talk to me about."

"Several things. First, Gohan."

Trunks raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

Goten leaned in closer and tilted his chin up a bit as he narrowed his eyes, "Have you noticed him acting…" He growled, "…odd, lately?"

"Everyone's been odd," Trunks kept his voice cool and emotionless as he brought his arms to fold before him, "It takes a lot of organization to pull off a cruise like this."

"But see…" Goten scowled, "He's not on the ship."

"Where is he."

"He's off…" Goten flicked his left wrist, sending a few ashes onto the table, "killing the Saiyan," he brought the cigarette back to his lips and then huffed "or so he says," before inhaling again.

Trunks frowned slightly and shifted in his seat as he looked hard and cold at Goten, "What do you mean, he's killing the Saiyan?"

"He stayed behind."

Trunks leaned forward as something flared in his eyes, "Alone?"

"It's supposed to be a surprise for Lord Baby," Goten exhaled and watched his hand tap ashes into the tray, "But I want to tell Baby of his plans." He froze and brought his eyes to look hard at Trunks, "In case something goes… wrong."

Trunks narrowed his eyes, "What would Gohan do?"

Goten opened his mouth to respond, but was suddenly interrupted by a young waitress who approached wearing a light green smock. Both Trunks and Goten turned to look at her, frowning, while she put on a grin and handed them menus. "Good day, Sir Briefs and Sir Son!" She clasped her hands together and bowed deeply. When she rose, she smiled, "Our specials day are Yak and Yam, Peppered Patties, and Balsamic Pasta."

Trunks made a face and tried to hide it by opening the menu to shield her view from him. Goten's eyes widened a moment, but then narrowed as he bared his teeth at her.

Goten snarled angrily as his eyes flared, "Don't you see we are in the middle of something _important_?"

"Well, yes, I just wanted to give you menus, and– _AHHH_?–"

The girl screamed as a blast went off by her feet. She stumbled back and tripped, landing in a roll that left her crawling away from them, in tears, screaming, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Trunks coolly watched her stand and run off crying in terror. He then stoically raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Goten. When he spoke, his voice was devoid of emotion, "That was unnecessary."

"Heheheh…" Goten blew his right index finger as if it were gun.

"But what were you saying before? About Gohan."

Goten inhaled deeply with a concerned face. As he exhaled, he looked to the wall and scowled slightly before his vision made its way back to Trunks. He waited a moment, and then tapped some ashes into the tray before leaning forward and lowering his voice slightly.

"Don't you think it's… suspicious." Goten frowned deeply, "I mean, he's had this mission for months, and now he's _finally_ doing it."

Trunks pretended to look at the menu as his face became concerned and hardened. He coughed once and then shifted in his seat. He looked up to Goten and said with a nonchalant shrug, "Maybe he just doesn't have his heart in it. I mean," he looked down at the menu again, "She may be a Saiyan, but she _is_ his bastard child."

"Yeah, she's a bastard alright." Goten scrunched his nose as his mouth formed into a snarl, "She's like the mold that forms on dirty dishes, that's what she's like."

"Yeah."

Goten grabbed the tablecloth in his right hand his snarl deepened, "She's like the last remaining milk in the fridge that's gone sour because it's been around too long–"

"–I agree–"

"–that makes you sick, and stinks up the whole kitchen unless you dispose of it! _That's _what she is."

Trunks put down the menu, "Don't let her get to you."

"_God_…" Goten suddenly brought his left hand up with his fingers spread, and studied his palm. "I'd love to see her die. I want to see her be _crushed,_" he closed his hand and made a tight fist as if he were crushing something inside it. "I want to see her be torn apart, limb by limb, _God_…"

Trunks shifted uncomfortably in his seat and coughed slightly.

"I want to smell her blood, savor her _burning flesh!_ _GOD!_" Goten slammed the table and took gasping breaths, wheezing from his rush of adrenalin.

A moment passed, with Goten breathing hard and Trunks trying to ignore a growing sickness in his stomach by looking down at the menu and thinking about food.

With a shaking hand, Goten brought the cigarette back to his mouth and took a long, deep breath. He exhaled in a steady stream as he watched the smoke with a growing smirk. He then turned his hard eyes back to Trunks and began to grin darkly, his eyes flashing with excitement, "You know what I want the most, though?"

Trunks frowned, feeling his stomach begin to reel, "What?"

His grin turned into a dark smile, his body beginning to tremble with a lust, "I want to watch her scream."

Trunks suddenly slammed down the menu and stood up, "Listen, Goten, I have to go."

Goten leaned back and crossed his arms with a smirk, "What's the rush?"

"I'm not hungry." Trunks straightened his blue uniform and adjusted his pants. "I'll see you when we land." Trunks forced a fake grin and turned to walk away.

"Hey Trunks."

"What?" Trunks stopped and looked to Goten.

"Thanks, man." Goten put out the cigarette and turned to face his friend, "I needed to vent." He paused a moment, and then grinned, "You know, though, I think it's just me."

"What is?" Trunks adjusted his stance as he looked questioningly at Goten.

"My distrust. In Gohan, I mean." Goten looked to the finished cigarette butt in his hand and left it in the tray as he brought his left arm to fold on top of his right. "It's just me. There's no way anyone would dare be a traitor to Lord Baby," Goten chuckled a bit and shook his head, "Especially under _my_ nose."

"Heh… I'll see you around, Goten." Trunks smirked and then turned to walk to the elevator again, leaving Goten alone at the table.

When Trunks got to the elevator, he pressed the "down" button and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and watching everyone enjoy their meals.

A sudden "ding" announced the arrival of the elevator, and the doors opened to reveal it empty inside. Trunks walked in and then pressed the "close doors" button behind him.

When they were shut, and the elevator began to move, Trunks suddenly let go of his mask and collapsed against the wall gasping for air he couldn't find back in the dining hall. He felt his body tremble as his sense of homesickness multiplied by ten, with a dire need to return to Earth. He had to get back to Earth.

"SH-T!" Trunks kicked the elevator wall, causing the whole cubicle to shake. "SH-T! SH-T!"

He suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. The thought of the Saiyan being murdered by Gohan… It all seemed so fantastical before. It never hit him, not until now. And there was nothing he could do about it. That girl was all on her own.

_But she has Piccolo. Piccolo can help her._ _NO DAMNIT!_ Trunks was aware of the elevator doors opening and someone walking in. He didn't care what floor he was on. He had to get out of that elevator.

He ran out into the hallway and saw he was in the Historical Museum section of the ship, the floor that taught people the origins of their race, its past, and what the Saiyans had done to destroy it. He ran past the booths, through the crowds of people, and eventually made it to the farthest wall, which had a large wall-window that displayed the beautiful array of stars and the ghastly planet Earth which would soon be destroyed after "the selection" of the new Tuffle inhabitants would be complete.

Trunks leaned against the window and scowled, closing his eyes and then opening them again to focus on Earth. The planet seemed so far away. His hands clawed the glass as he felt his stomach reel again. He fell to his knees, with his face pressed against the window, and shut his eyes tight, trying to concentrate on Lord Baby, his faithfulness to his master, how one measly Saiyan and a poor excuse for an accidental marriage could never get in the way of his love for his people.

But as he opened his eyes to stare at the planet again, he vaguely sensed a voice in his mind, a slight droning as his breaths began to get calmer. _Save Pan_… _Save Pan…_

That stupid Saiyan deserved to die, for messing with his head. Deep down, he cheered on Gohan. He agreed with Goten, she needed to be terminated.

But he just wished he could be there… to monitor it.

–––––––

She was thinking of Trunks again.

Piccolo was giving her another one of his speeches, and today, she just couldn't concentrate. It was nothing against her sensei; she just was incredibly fatigued and found it hard to keep her thoughts in order. Out of habit, she found herself daydreaming while keeping a stare at Piccolo so he wouldn't know what she was doing. She knew he'd be upset if he knew she was not paying attention, but every time she tried to listen to him, her mind would wander off again.

She thought about that time he kissed her. At the time, sure it was strange and new, but as she looked back on it, it suddenly became even weirder. They had never gotten along. It had taken them so long to grow on each other, and then he had become her first kiss… in three – no, _two_ – ways. She refused to think of her last encounter with him as Trunks kissing her. That was not him; that thing inside him was some impostor, or some parasite that took over his mind and not only brainwashed him, but left him a completely different, cold, and heartless person.

She wondered if everyone had become like that. Since her grandfather died, her contact with the Tuffles had been minimal, but what she had seen of them made her realize she truly had no desire ever run into a Tuffle again. But, she had to; it was her duty, as one of the last Z fighters. Although she never killed anyone before, she was sure it wouldn't be too mentally strenuous to teach Baby a lesson he'd never forget, for all the rest of his days, in Hell.

All she had to do was find Lord Baby and kill him, and then figure out a plan from there, to save her friends and her family. Once the leader would be put down, the followers might be able to overcome those Tuffle eggs inside them. Either that, or Pan could maybe find a way to help out by dissolving laxative pills in each city's water tower. Something along those lines might work.

"… and are you even _listening to me?_"

"Oh! Yes!" Pan refocused her eyes and gave an innocent grin to Piccolo.

"Right." Piccolo crossed his arms and scowled, "So what did I say last?"

"Oh! Um…" Pan's breath caught in her throat as she pretended to think about words she had completely missed. She looked up to try to wrack her mind for an idea, and when her gaze returned to Piccolo, she decided to go with the most general response, hoping she'd at least get partial credit, "You were talking about how we are going to kill the Tuffles."

Feeling her heart race and trying to keep her eye-contact steady, she never glanced away as she reached down and grabbed some more nuts from her bowl, stuffing them in her mouth, so she wouldn't have to speak anymore.

Piccolo raised his right eyebrow ridge and gave her a slightly disconcerted look. "Wrong." He stood straight and adjusted his cape. "I was telling you the instructions for our training session today." He looked hard at her and narrowed his eyes, "Don't tell me I have to repeat myself _again_."

Pan looked down and tried to hide a slight blush as she forced herself to swallow.

Piccolo grunted and turned away to face the forest before them. "Today's ki-sensing session is going to be a little more difficult for you. I've decided to go fifty or more miles away," Piccolo turned his head to look at her at the side of his eyes, "Most likely _more_, and that's a hint."

Pan frowned, "How far?"

"Let's just say," Piccolo turned his body to face her again, "Baby finally left this planet. I could feel his presence leaving." He smirked slightly, "So I concluded I'd test your abilities to an extreme."

"Oh _no…_" Pan sighed and looked down dejectedly.

"What do you mean, '_oh no_'," He snapped, and his eyes narrowed, "Are you saying you have a _problem_ with my exercise!"

Pan looked up with terror in her eyes and waved her hands frantically, "Oh no no no no!"

"Because if you're feeling _lazy_, I can think of _plenty_ of other exercises that might _wake you up_!"

"No no no!" Pan put the bowl aside and stood up, "I'm up for your ki exercise! It sounds fun!"

"_FUN?_" Piccolo pointed her with a snarl, "We're not training for a _circus_, Pan!"

Pan made a guilty face and stepped back as she realized Piccolo was definitely showing signs of being cranky today. It probably had to do the fact that he didn't get much sleep the night before. But that was no excuse why he had to be so _incorrigible_ all the time. That was something that Pan still had trouble getting adjusted to.

"So _anyway_," Piccolo dropped his hand and huffed, "Now that you are out of _la la land_," he turned around again, "I'm going to go off, I won't tell you which direction. Wait twenty minutes for me to get there, and _don't_ try to follow my ki by sensing it. I'll be masking it this time," he glanced at her, "because I _know_ how you _cheated_ last time."

Pan's eyes went wide as her face turned red. "Eh!" She blushed even further and looked away as her flushed face twitched in embarrassment. She gave a humored, shy laugh, filled to the core with anxiety, "Heheheh…."

"You won't be laughing at this exercise." Piccolo scowled, "Because if you don't find me within _ten minutes_, I'm going to make you stand with your _arms extended_ for _THREE HOURS!_"

Pan's eyes widened with terror as she stumbled back, "You _wouldn't!_"

Piccolo smirked and crossed his arms, "Try me."

Pan looked down and whispered under her breath, "_Crap_…"

"So the pressure's on." Piccolo smirked, and turned. "Now _get back_ inside that cave and give me some time to get there."

Pan frowned, "Why is it going to take so long?"

"Unlike you, I can't fly there." Piccolo huffed in the direction of the forest, "Or else you might _cheat_ again."

Pan chuckled under her breath and leaned back on her left leg, "What if I gave you my word that I wouldn't cheat?"

Piccolo closed his eyes and smirked, "I'd sooner trust Baby."

Pan laughed and turned her body to the cave, keeping her face on Piccolo. "Alright then, I'll see you in thirty minutes." She waved quickly even though he didn't see it, and began to walk toward the cave.

As Piccolo sensed her go, he chuckled menacingly under his breath, thinking of how she still managed to get so terrified of him. God, he missed the good old days, when everyone showed him revered respect like that. He really _had_ changed since then, but it still gave him a power trip when he got Pan to widen her eyes like that. He hoped to earn a similar widening from Goku, when he would see how powerful Pan had become.

Sure, she still had a long way to go. Even with all the wrongdoings done to the world, she still couldn't summon up enough anger to truly transform, but she definitely had the potential; and sometimes, Piccolo could sense it – her walls breaking down. It was only a matter of time until she tapped into that Mystic power. One more month with her, and everything would be set in order. And Goku would get those widened eyes when he'd see her.

But first he'd have to find something that could get her angry. Like Gohan, she had a similar way of quickly forgiving. His conversation with her last night put one thought in his mind, but it would be a last resort to sacrifice Trunks in order for her to transform. But, if it was deemed necessary, sometimes it did take a step back in order to make a giant leap forward.

But he'd think of something else in due time. Pondering strategy had always been a strength of his. Hopefully, one day, it might rub off on Pan.

–––––––

Pan felt Piccolo take off at a run, heading north. She snickered as she kept her senses open, monitoring Piccolo's power level as he zigzagged through the woods. She felt him stop and then head to the east, but after a minute, head to the south.

Pan knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to throw her off by heading in different directions. Well, that wasn't going to work this time. She knew exactly where he was, and she leaned back against the cave wall, chuckling under her breath as she followed him in her mind.

But then something happened. She sensed one ki split into four and head in alternate directions.

Pan shot up with wide eyes, _That's impossible! He's not…! _Pan cursed him as she frowned and slammed the cave floor with her right hand, "You can't do that! That's _cheating!_"

Her voice echoed off the cave walls as she leaned against the cold stone again. "Damn," she looked down at her hands and tried to follow the four kis, but after several minutes, she completely lost track of them.

Pan sighed and twiddled her thumbs as she realized she lost that battle. Piccolo had outsmarted her cheating by fighting fire with fire. She smirked and shook her head in mild humor.

"So…" Pan's voice reverberated in the cave as she realized she was truly alone for the time being.

She yawned indolently and leaned farther back against the wall, pulling her knees up and hugging them against her chest. _I guess I have wait another ten minutes… or fifteen? Or…_ Pan scrunched up her nose as she realized she hadn't been keeping track of the time. _Ah well…_ Pan realized Piccolo would unmask his ki once he got to his destination. All she had to do was wait for the sign. It just unnerved her that she couldn't sense him at the moment. It made her feel so incompetent.

A long time passed. Especially in her boredom, every minute felt like an hour. She wanted to do something that would entertain her, but if she didn't keep her ki senses up, she'd miss Piccolo's ki marker, and he'd be _really_ upset with her if he found she was daydreaming on the job again.

But she couldn't help it. She kept feeling her imagination pulling at her, wanting to picture Goku, Trunks, her family… even Goten, however much they didn't get along. His naïve little flirtations with girls just drove Pan insane. She couldn't go _anywhere_ with Goten without him making new friends. It just unnerved her, how popular he was. It made her so _mad_…

Pan suddenly snapped out of it when she sensed a ki to the southwest.

"AHA!" Pan shot up and grabbed her bandana, wrapping it tightly around her lengthening hair, "I found you, Piccolo!"

She sprang up and quickly adjusted her purple gi, tying her orange belt into a tight knot. Pan grinned haughtily to herself when she concluded she was going to surprise him. She'd pull a Piccolo move, and take to a run after him. He was expecting her to fly, but she felt it might be a better element of surprise if she sprang out of the bushes on him, to teach him a lesson for _cheating_.

She cackled triumphantly and took off to the southwest at a run, determined to make it seventy miles within ten minutes.

But after about forty, she began to realize her err. She began to feel slightly lethargic, on top of the sleep deprivation she had the night before. She could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead and cursed herself for still not being in shape.

She had to be faster than this if she wanted to make it well within the ten-minute marker, but she dared not raise her ki, lest Piccolo might sense her. Then again, he probably already did, but she didn't want to _encourage_ him to find her. She'd beat him at his own game!

At the sixty-mile marker, she realized she was nearing a town. She started passing farms, which was startling to her, since she hadn't seen civilization in half a year. She knew that Piccolo often came this way, though, to steal supplies from unsuspecting Tuffles, like their soap and her shampoo, and sometimes even luxurious items like orange juice if he felt she was being a good girl, since oranges didn't grow around here.

Pan sensed herself getting closer and started running faster. She was so close! Eight miles… Five miles…. Three miles… One…

She suddenly _SMACK_ed right into something hard, as if it suddenly had appeared in her way. The force of the impact slammed into her body as she felt as if she collided with a cement wall at her lowest power level, and she reeled back, as her body naturally bounced from the 560mph (901km per hour) crash.

She felt as if she had just been hit by a train. She stumbled back a few steps and grabbed her nose, which was the first thing to instinctively do as she realized it was bleeding. She looked at her hands and snapped angrily, "I can't believe you Piccolo! Getting in my way like that! You could have seriously…!" She looked up to yell at him, feeling a resurgence of anger boil inside her.

And what she saw sucked the life out of her.

Her eyes widened as she tried to contain a scream. She stumbled a few more feet back as he advanced on her. Staggering, at a loss for breath and words, she could only feel the pounding of her heart and hear a high pitched shrill as blood pumped through her ears.

Her world came crashing down. She couldn't think, couldn't react. All her training flew out the window, every last happy thought, all hope, all her dreams, everything… It vanished and left her cold and empty as she stared into those absent eyes.

"P-P…" Her voice caught in her throat as her eyes couldn't become any wider, "_Papa_…"

His hand grabbed her gi and pulled her up toward him as she hung off her clothes. He snarled triumphantly as his eyes flashed a dark red. He sneered as he bared his fangs, looking her in the eyes and spitting with excitement.

"Hello _Saiyan_…"

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-_4/2/05_-

Note: I have several announcements to make:

(1) I started an MSN group for this fanfiction. The link is on my bio page.

(2) I composed a soundtrack that follows the next few chapters. It is an orchestral "program piece", a song that tells a story, that is going to be performed by the University of Michigan Music School in a few weeks. When I get the official recording of it, I'll be sure to post it.

(3) Sorry about such a late chapter update. This chapter was giving me problems, mostly because I wasn't too thrilled with writing Evil Trunks and Evil Goten, ESPECIALLY Evil Goten, because the real Goten is a whole heck of a lot nicer, and officially my favorite character to write.

(4) Expect great things to come. I can't wait till the Baby Saga is over.

(5) Watch GT: The Lost Episodes every Saturday from 10 – 11. And be sure to watch out for the RE-RELEASE of DBZ on Cartoon Network, starting this month, with NEW DUBBED VOICES for the first 50 episodes, thanks to Funimation FINALLY buying the rights from Saban.

(6) I also will be rewriting Chapters 1 – 3, just for your knowledge. Chapter 1 is already complete. I'll let you guys know when I release it. Then again, you'll immediately know if you Author Alert me. Most of it will be all new content, so you get an extra few bonus chapters (while the originals will be at the endings of them).

(7) This story is still a comedy overall, but we've reached a point where it's NOT going to be funny. Once the Baby Saga is over with, trust me, you'll be rolling on the floor again, but unfortunately, some pretty depressing events are about to take place, and any humor will just sound tacky for the time being. However, you'll enjoy your read anyway. It's about to get pretty intense.


	49. Nemesis

Note 1: **_Good News!_** _I updated Chapters 1 – 3._ They are completely rewritten, _12,000 words of new, original content _and dialogue. I've also edited Chapter 17 slightly (the part on the roof) and Chapter 7 (the middle of the ceremony). In addition to that, I went back and gave the Kikaruans a dialect. But the major announcement is that Chapters 1 – 3 are completely new and filled with new humor. If you'd like to crack a smile (especially during this drama stage of my story), the beginning of this tale is definitely the place to be ; )

Note 2: Also, now that I've written the part, _I think I can prevent my story from becoming Rated M_, and that's a good thing! Just be wary that the story eventually incorporates a few curse words into it while they are fighting, but this chapter is completely clean… except for a few moments when Evil Gohan really proves how sick and twisted he really is… Just don't say I didn't warn you...

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CHAPTER 49:  
Nemesis

Somewhere, in the distance, a murder of crows flocked away by the hundreds, shrieking as an icy wind breathed its chill over the dead brown leaves. A gunshot was fired; the piercing hammer of a hunter's kill jolted among the red and orange trees. A silence hung on the split hairs of time. A moment passed, maybe a breath, as she looked into those black eyes that had no soul. They were the eyes of death, a dark abyss lined with pain, a suffering that sucked her life as she hung in mid-air, suspended by his cold hand.

It began to squeeze, and she felt an alarm in her mind scream for her to wake up, snap alert, to fight, to live, but everything in her being was paralyzed by a fear. Her body, her mind, her widened eyes were petrified, staring into his own, vaguely aware of her surroundings, choking, of air prying, stilled as it wailed for her to breathe. Everything was passing so fast, and yet everything felt like it was in slow motion. She was watching herself meet him, the one she once called father.

But he was gone. He was the empty shell of a man who used to be something, who used to _mean _something in life. But now, what she saw was a slave, a mindless nothing, a pawn of destruction as he withered under his own skin.

And it terrified her… that a man who once stood up for something in life had become a dark messenger, a demon of darkness, a _nemesis_…

His mouth curved to one side as he grinned, his eyebrows knotting as he gave a wild sneer. His eyes flashed red as his voice rose in a cackle, his body tremoring from his excitement as he grew louder and threw his head back and he laughed manically, "HeehahahahahaHAHA!"

And then something snapped in her.

In a dexterous move, she delivered a quick and hard kick, forcefully digging her knee into his abdomen. He faltered backward as his grip loosened, and Pan seized the moment, spiking her ki in a rage of yellow and white sparks. The blast of energy caught him off-guard and he dropped her as he stumbled back several steps.

Pan dropped to the ground, clutching her neck and wheezing as she quickly stood up and stepped back, narrowing her eyes as she grimaced. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't find her voice, her body was gasping as she tried to hold herself together and get into a battle stance, still holding her throbbing neck.

Gohan snickered as he stood up straight and then got into his own stance, his left arm forward and clenched. He opened his mouth with a sneer and said in a cold emotionless voice, "You've always been the stubborn one."

Pan panted still and wet her mouth as her eyes flickered between both of his. She frowned until she scowled, taking in deep breaths. "You…" Pan sneered to mirror his and clenched her fists, "Give me… back my _father!_"

He snickered again as he extended the fingers to display his left palm. "In the_ next _life, perhaps."

Suddenly, without warning, a blood-red column of energy fired at full velocity toward her. Quick on her feet, Pan threw herself out of the way as it wailed past her and demolished the woods in a trail of fire and ash, plowing a hole straight through the forest. In the distance, a mountain suddenly exploded, blown to pebbles as it rained soot and burned silt.

Pan stood there gasping at the display and then turned her head to face him, her eyes wide as she realized this was it. There was no holding back now.

He sneered triumphantly as he took a step toward her. "I would recommend," his eyes were mad with power, "you hold still for this part." He leaned forward and cackled through his grin, "I wouldn't want you to _suffer_ any more than you _have_ to!" And then, as if he said something hilarious, he burst out into another maniacal laugh, his shoulders shaking with his sadistic pleasure.

Pan got into her battle stance again and sneered outwardly while her mind screamed in her bluff, "Leave now." She lowered her head so her eyes pierced his under her eyebrows, "And mind your own business with _Baby_."

"_Lord_ Baby," Gohan sneered, "And all those who resist his power meet… unfortunate… endings." He chortled darkly as his grin returned, "Feel honored. He felt the need to send an elite to assassinate you." He huffed with a smirk, "Few others get that respect."

"I'll be _honored_ when all of you are _DEAD!"_ Pan hissed, "You killed _Grandpa!_"

"Enough!" Gohan formed a red ball in his right hand, and with his left foot he stepped forward and threw the blast at her at maximum speed. The air singed in its heat and Pan threw her hands up to block it, but in a split moment, Gohan phased out of sight and reappeared behind her, throwing another at her back as she deflected the first. Pan flew forward from the impact, screaming in pain as the heat singed her body. As she landed, she rolled and quickly got to her feet just in time to see Gohan phase out again.

Opening her senses, she spun and smacked the air behind her, sending Gohan back a few yards as she flew forward and threw punches to him, each one blocked effortlessly as he cackled in a sick and twisted delight. His arms were faster, and he was quicker to the punch as he retaliated and hit her left shoulder. She spun back and then shot for him again, her right arm reared back for the punch. But before she could land a hit, he phased out again and reappeared to her side, kicking her hard in the gut and sending her flying upward.

Pan caught herself and threw her hands before her, preparing an energy blast. But, feeling his presence appear by her side, she phrased out and appeared beside him, kicking him back. And then, as fast as her body could allow, she threw her hands before her and fired. But a knock to her head threw her off balance in the sky and with a quick double-punch, Gohan scored a hit right in her chest that sent her shooting to the ground.

Pan hit the forest floor in a mass of splinters and debris. Smoke singed her nostrils from the rising forest fire caused by Gohan's initial blast. Pan stood up to aim another blast at him, but failed to see him come out of the woods to the east, as fast as a dart. He shot a series of blasts at her, which she dodged as fast as she could, but the clouds of dust blocked her vision and she choked at the thick and ashy air.

Gohan tore up a tree from its roots and with a sneer, yelled "Dodge _this!_" With a mighty force behind his throw, he sent the tree hurling toward her, and at the last moment, fired a series of shots that splintered it into a hundred thousand shards aimed at her flesh. Pan threw her hands before her and fired a blast that incinerated the shards and left remnants of splinters as the energy tore though the clearing and aimed at Gohan. As a reflex, Gohan fired a retaliation shot to cancel hers, and then charged forward with his fists ready.

Pan dashed toward him as well, and they collided in an explosion of ki, all trees and boulders blown away or burned by the intense heat of the battle. Punches were thrown at maddening speed with Pan panting and sweating and Gohan cackling and dodging effortlessly. With a roundhouse kick, Gohan sent Pan flying back into rubble and then walked confidently forward, cracking his knuckles as if he were just warming up.

"Don't you see, _Saiyan?_" Gohan sneered, "This is just a _game_ to me."

"One…" Pan panted as she rose from uprooted bushes and boulders, "…that you are _not_ going to win!"

"No…" Gohan smirked menacingly, "Au contraire, little monkey." He put his hands before him again and sneered, "One that I am _not_ going to _lose!_" With a blast of ki, Gohan sent a pulse of air toward Pan, knocking her off balance as he shouted, "_HAAAA!_"

Burning fire erupted from his hands, red flames of ki that spiraled toward her. It was too late for her to block it, and she took it head-on, thrown back with the pulse of tainted ki engulfing her in his power. Pan couldn't breathe as his energy rained on her. Her life was pounded by solid heat knocking the wind from her and immobilizing her as her skin was scorched and burned.

Gohan continued his rapid fire as he stepped closer, diabolically laughing over the heat and flames. "How is _this!_" He cackled, "_Game over_, Saiyan!"

"_Noooo!_" Pan resisted and raised her ki as far as it could go, shielding herself even for the briefest moment from his fire as she threw her hands before her and rained forth her own blue counterblasts. She took that time to wheeze, breathing hard as her body felt its first signs of fatigue.

She was trying. She had to try. No, she had to _win!_ She had to defeat this evil incarnation of her father if she ever hoped to put an end to Baby and his tyrannical reign. She had to do it for her Papa… for Trunks, for all her family and friends, and for her grandpa! She would do it for him!

"_NOOO!_" With a sudden burst of energy, Pan found an inner power that flooded her. With a release of that energy, she screamed aloud and threw her power as a giant wave toward her nemesis.

Gohan was taken aback by the blow and was thrown against some charred stumps as ash rained from the sky. However, quick to his feet, Gohan recovered in a split moment and got back into a battle stance. His sneer was gone now, replaced by a sour scowl as he watched Pan get to her feet on wobbly legs.

"It would hurt a lot _less_ if you just _died!_" Gohan sneered angrily to her.

Pan got into a battle stance and looked desperately to him as she tried to tap into that power she felt for that brief instant, finding it once again beyond her grasp. She breathed heavily and spit to her side as she clenched her fists.

"Don't do this, Papa." Pan looked hard at him, "Don't lose your own identity because Baby manipulates you."

"You _fool_," Gohan sneered, "Lord Baby liberated me! He set me _free_." His fists clenched tighter as he snarled, "And I would _die_ for him."

Pan felt stings of hatred run through her heart, "And you would murder your own flesh and blood?"

Gohan paused a moment as his sneer rose into a snicker. "That didn't faze me when I killed _Goku_, now _did_ it?" His sneer then rose to a trumphant cackle.

It was the tone in his voice that shattered her. He held no remorse. He held no guilt. He was just a body being used by Baby as a killing machine, and there was nothing Pan could do but watch as he suffered before her.

Her real father was in there somewhere. It was deep in his mind, but he was there, she knew it. Her Papa would never give into Baby so easily. He was a champion, a true warrior who defeated Cell! He was her hero. He was always strong and loving, and there was never a frown on his face. To see him like this sent chills through her. Her body trembled involuntarily as she stared at the monster before her.

She didn't want to hurt him. She instead wanted to hold him against her and tell him she missed him, that she forgave him, and that she loved him. But the more she looked at him, the more she realized there was no love in his heart. His eyes were as vacant as the soul that peered out from their black depths. He was just a shell, an emotionless body sent on a mission for his master. But there had to be hope for him. There had to be something! Anything!

Pan held in a sniffle as her eyes watered, already knowing the answer. "Papa…" Her eyebrows rose sadly as she bit her bottom lip and said in an almost-whisper, "Don't you love me anymore?"

Ashes rained down as smoke billowed from all around. A roar rose from the forest as the fire spread among the changing leaves of autumn. A great heat settled between them, blanketing the air in illusory waves. But Pan heard and saw none of it as she looked to her father and watched his hardened eyes as she took in deep breaths.

And then something happened. His eyes flickered for a moment and his face softened. He stood upright and looked at her strangely, as if considering something he had not thought on before.

"You're right." Gohan's lips formed into a slight grin and then widened to become one of his familiar shy smiles. "Baby _has_ manipulated me. I can't believe it," he looked at her and shook his head with his smile, "You saw right through that."

"Papa…?" Pan's eyebrows twitched as she frowned in slight confusion.

"You are right, Pan." Gohan took a determined look, "I should fight this. I know I can do it. But…" He stepped back a bit and took a deep breath as if it were hard to say, "I can't do it alone, Pan."

Pan stood up and took a step toward him, "Papa, I want to support you! Let me support you! I'll help you!"

"Then come _here_," Gohan grinned and extended his arms widely, "Give your Papa a _hug_."

Pan stood still, her eyes widening as alarms went off in her mind. There was no way she could trust him. He was her enemy. He was the darkness that took her Grandpa away from her… But then again, he needed her more than anything right now. He couldn't do it alone, he was right. She wanted to help him, and if she didn't trust him, then how was she supposed to give him support? How was she helping him fight Baby?

"It's been so long, _Pan_." His grin softened as the wind picked up his hair, "You've grown so _much_… and you've gotten so _strong_."

Pan held back a sniffle as she felt her eyes water, "I've missed you…"

His grin widened to show his teeth as his eyes flashed, "I've thought of you too. Please…" He gestured with his arms again, offering her a welcoming smile, "I've waited so long for this."

"Papa…!" Pan shook her head, "First, tell me you love me!"

"Of course." Gohan beamed, "I'll tell you whatever you _like_… _Panny_…"

She shook her head again as if that were not enough, "Tell me!"

Something flashed in his eyes again as his smile threatened to falter. There was a pause as he looked at her, the wind ruffling his tangled locks.

Another moment passed, and then another as the heat rose around them.

And then Gohan opened his mouth and smiled brightly as he closed his eyes, "Of _course_ I _love_ you…"

That seemed to be what Pan wanted to hear. Even though it took him a while to say, it proved he loved her still because he never lied. He was her Papa, and he could be saved. Unable to hold back her tears, Pan ran for him and embraced him tightly, holding his warm and solid body against hers. She breathed him in – sweat, soot, ash, and his scent that she loved so much because it belonged to her Papa, the most wonderful person in the world.

But then something changed. Perhaps it was his body position or the alarms that suddenly shrieked in her mind, she knew she was vulnerable before he even did it. She was defenseless, all her guards down as she suddenly felt him tear her bandana from her head and kick her away from him.

She sprawled on the ground, her eyes wide, looking up at him as he towered over her with a triumphant smirk.

A sudden wrath emerged from deep within her as she realized he just made a mockery of her, just to hurt her. And it worked. And she was a fool for falling for it!

Pan snarled in an utter hatred as her world flashed red with her anger, "You… you _liar!_"

Gohan cackled gleefully as he sneered down at her, but then brought it to a light chuckle as he held up his orange prize and looked at it, "Well, well, and what do we have here…" He smirked as he held the bandana between his right index finger and thumb as if it were dirty diaper. "I seem to smell your stench on this... and that of your worthless _Saiyan_ grandfather."

Pan's eyes widened and she brought her hands to her hair as it finally registered that he was holding her most prized possession. A sudden fear swarmed through her as she gasped, her heart racing in a panic, "G-g-give that _back!_"

Gohan's smirk darkened as he held the bandana farther from him and looked it over as he licked his lips. His once-again cold, lifeless eyes turned to hers as he sneered, "_Goku_ is _dead_…"

And with a slow movement, he brought his left hand up, and with a loud and searing _RIP_… tore the bandana into two dangling shreds, "And so are _you_." Gohan tossed the rags to the ground and stepped on them with a soiled boot, burying them among the dead leaves and soil.

Bells tolled in the distance as Pan felt her blood drain from her face. She felt a pain unlike anything she felt before, as she witnessed the last memory of her grandfather be torn to shreds in front of her eyes. It was her last symbol of hope, the last remnant of her past and how it used to be. Her father knew how much that meant to her. It had been with him through the years, and he had given it to her as a child when her grandfather went away to train and she wanted a memory to keep by her side.

And now it was gone. The last fragment of her life.

A sudden anger rose in her. And she felt a wall crack in her mind as she suppressed a shudder that threatened to wrack her whole body into a fit of mourning. She scrambled to her feet and got into a battle pose, seething with rage and a lust for revenge. Somewhere in her mind, a wall cracked as pressure was building. She thought she was going to go mad from her wrath, and she no longer cared. This monster before her was beyond hope. Although she once could say that she loved him, he now was rabid, and he had to be put down.

Her Papa would have wanted it that way…

Pan stood up slowly, glaring at him as she clenched her fists at her side. She disregarded her fatigue and pushed all other thoughts out of her mind at she pierced his eyes with her stare.

When she spoke, there was an unnatural coldness to it, filled with a loathing and utter detest, "You're going to pay for that."

"HehehehahahahHAHAHAH!" Gohan cackled as his grin turned into a distorted sneer. He got into a battle stance and mused, "Make me."

Without thinking, and relying totally on instinct, Pan charged forward, and as Gohan made a swing, she phased out of sight, shortly followed by Gohan. They took to the air, throwing blasts and punches faster than any eye could see, creating earth-shattering sonic booms as their bodies moved faster than sound. There was no holding back as they cursed and sweat among the smoke and soot in the air.

The forest blazed wildly below them. Shrieks from birds and burning animals haunted the woods as the sky turned black around them. The air became thick with ash, and they both ignored it as their kis drove the smoke away from their battle in the air.

Suddenly, with a rush, Gohan laughed and backhanded her across the face, sending her sprawling in the air. He phased out and appeared before her, kicking her in the back, causing her to scream from pain and she shot upward. And before she could catch herself, he appeared again and slammed her in the stomach, sending her down to the raging fires below.

It was so quick, she crashed to the ground below and made a crater thirty meters deep as the ground and ash gave way below her. All around the crater, fire blazed, and the air was so thick, Pan rose slowly, sputtering and coughing as she tried to look up and see him. With the blackness around her, she couldn't see anything, and she tried to rely on her senses, but the energy from the fire distorted everything. She couldn't sense him through that. She felt blinded and lost, but she was also determined.

She tried to take a step forward, but her body suddenly collapsed downward and she landed on her knee, kneeling down to try to catch her breath. Her lungs burned, and she felt her energy draining from the heat. She had to get out of there if she wanted to regain her strength back. Closing her eyes and collecting herself, she raised her ki and shot upward, determined to rise above the smoke, but halfway up, she was met with a fist to her face as Gohan smacked her right back to the crater.

"Just stay down there and burn alive!" Gohan cackled through the smoke, "It will spare me the effort of incinerating your body after I'm done with you!"

Pan noted the location of his voice and snarled in utter hatred. "I'll show you what can arise from the flames." She brought her hand to her head and concentrated her energy as she marked his silhouette. In a moment, after charging herself, she threw her right hand forward and screamed at the top of her burning lungs, "Screw Beam of the _Devil!_" Then two beams of light suddenly burst forth from her hands, one heading straight for the target and one spiraling around the other with an intense magnified energy.

"_WOAH!_" Gohan dodged the attack and had to dodge it again as it homed in on him, shooting past him and then turning to aim for his heart again. Pan held onto her attack, trying to focus on him as she rose from the crater, charging up for a new attack as sparks rose around her. As she levitated above the thickest part of the smoke, she watched as Gohan phased in an out of sight, dodging the beam that could pierce him in one stroke.

"Impressive!" Gohan smirked as the beam chased him, and took a split second to regard her with a widening twisted grin, "But not wise!"

Gohan suddenly screamed as he summoned forth a flood of power, and his hair spiked gold as his eyes turned a bright green. With a rising cackle, he turned to the beam and as it approached, he swatted it as if it were a fly, and then in that instant, it turned a dark tainted red and suddenly became his attack, to Pan's disbelief.

Pan had no time to prepare. Before she could even move, the red energy beam suddenly wailed merely centimeters from her right ear, singing her face as it went past her and exploded a mountain in the distance.

Pan was incredulous. She looked back at the destruction with wide eyes and her breath caught in her throat. She slowly turned her head to Gohan again, and her expression changed from disbelief to shock. It was hard to think over all the emotions raging within her, but she knew one thing for certain.

Gohan had every ability to kill her with that beam… but he didn't. He had sent it past her instead of through her; that meant one thing to Pan, over anything else… that her Papa was still in there somewhere.

Pan's attack suddenly faltered. The energy she had been charging up dissipated as she was suddenly distracted by her thoughts. Gohan took the opportunity to charge her and landed a solid punch to her chest while she was open, knocking the wind out of her. She flew almost a mile in the air, caught in a wind current that took her even farther, and when she got a hold of herself, Gohan slammed her again, spiraling to the ground. Pan caught herself before crashing and looked up to her transformed father.

"Papa!" She cried out desperately, "Stop fighting me!"

"Only after you're _dead!_" Gohan brought his hands before him and fired a series of blasts at her which she countered by throwing her own. However, with his new Super Saiyan power, his strength and energy was slowly overwhelming her. She couldn't keep up with him as he laughed insanely and pounded her with his blasts. But she tried, and she attempted to tap into that energy again that she felt ever so briefly, but it seemed beyond her. She didn't know what she did to overcome him before, but whatever happened, she'd have to find a new way around this, or else she had no chance against him.

"But you love me! I know you love me! You won't kill me!" Pan desperately attempted to match his power.

"You _fool!_" Gohan cackled as his attacks continued to rain, "I _never_ loved you, you _RAT!_"

There was something about his voice, and how he sounded so hateful and vengeful at that moment, his heart was so cold…. It sucked everything out of her. She knew she shouldn't listen to him. He didn't know what he was saying, and he didn't mean it… but hearing him say that suddenly dispirited her anyway.

Her energy suddenly faltered and before she knew it, she was sent hurling down under his energy toward a grassy clearing free of the fire. She screamed in pain as it happened all over again, she was caught in his fire and she couldn't summon enough energy to fight him. Her body was scorching, her hair singing, and her voice shrill in her agony. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think straight; she couldn't counterattack. She was completely under his mercy as he landed and slowly walked toward her while flooding his energy on her.

And then, as he stood above her, he stopped and snickered, "It's not fun when you don't fight back." He brought his right hand in front of him and gave a lopsided sneer, "Or have you had enough?"

Pan sat up slowly and tired her best to stand up on wobbly legs. Her face was bloody, her gi singed and tattered and her hair a matted mess. Her body was covered in soot and blacked by the smoke and burns. Her skin was sticky with her sweat and blood and her lungs still burned from fatigue and the flames from before. But she put all of it beside her as she got into a battle pose and faced him, a scowl on her worn face.

"I'm going…" Pan breathed heavily, "to make you… pay…"

"Heheheheh…" Gohan grinned darkly, his eyes outlined with black, his cheeks sunken from his slight fatigue, miniscule compared to Pan's state. "Take a free shot." Gohan stepped back and spread his arms wide as he grinned to her.

Pan growled and stepped forward. Summoning whatever inner strength she had, she hurled herself to him and punched outward, only to be met with air as he phased out and reappeared behind her. As she stumbled forward, losing her balance, Gohan reached out and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back toward him while she shrieked in surprise.

Pan suddenly found herself in a head-lock as he grasped her hair and held her tired body against his. Then, with a high-pitched cackle, he ripped a lock of her hair straight from her head.

Pan screamed in terror and agony as she felt her hair being ripped from her. The pain was overwhelming, and it shocked her whole body in paralysis as he brought the lock to his nose and smelled it, his eyes wild with a lust.

"This will be a nice enough souvenir." He smelled it again and cackled insanely into her left ear, "A _memento_ to remember the last _Saiyan_… and how I put an end to you and the entire Saiyan _race!_"

Pan felt blood streaming down her head as her body began to feel weak. Her vision faltered, threatening to turn black as her ears hummed a shrill piercing note in her head. She could feel her world slipping as Gohan's arm around her neck became tighter.

"Goodbye… _Saiyan_." Gohan brought his left hand to her head and was about to snap her neck…

…When something rammed into him and threw him back.

Another wave of energy crashed into his side, sending Gohan sprawling several meters as Pan collapsed to the ground.

"What the–" Gohan looked up in surprise, his eyes wide. "_Piccolo!_"

"Your fight is with _me_ now." Piccolo stepped out of the smoke, his face furious. He made his way beside Pan and glanced down at her with an unwavering expression. In a low monotone, he asked her, "Did he hurt you?"

Pan gasped and tried to prop herself up with her arms, "Yes…"

Piccolo got into a fighter's stance and narrowed his eyes with a snarl. "It's time to fight a _real_ battle, _Tuffle._"

–––––––

–––––––

–_4/25/05_–

Note: As a final reminder, Chapters 1 – 3 have also been updated/remade. Sorry this chapter took so long, but school has been killing me with work. Tomorrow are my finals and then I'm home-free. It shouldn't be too hard to get my new stuff out now that I'll have more time on my hands. A special thanks goes to my friend Red for helping me out with the opening line off this chapter. Everything after that seemed to come pretty easily.


	50. This One is Personal

CHAPTER 50:  
_This _One… is _Personal_

It was white, or at least, it looked like it _could _have been white, though the darkness made everything a shade of gray. It really was more of a beige, but the more he looked at it, the more it seemed to be white. There wasn't much else there except a fan revolving slowly on the lowest setting. It was completely silent in the room as Trunks looked up at the ceiling with his arms propped behind his pillow. The only other sound was Goten shifting in the bed about three yards from his own. Even the usual droning hum was gone, since they had docked several hours before, and everything on the planet Tuffle underwent a veil of darkness.

But Trunks wasn't tired. Back home at Capsule Corporation it would have been the early evening, and his body never had the chance to adjust to Tuffle time. So, instead of sleeping, he found himself staring beyond the white ceiling and reflecting about his life until languor would eventually overcome him.

His eyes unfocused as he felt a usual surge of anger course through him. Thinking of his life usually led to rage. His life had been terrible before Baby came along. He was never able to think straight. His thoughts had always been jarred with too many emotions. He could never make decisions, he procrastinated, he never even took his duties seriously, and he was the epitome of the worst type of _Saiyan_. Augh, the thought of that gave him a sour taste in his mouth. He hated everything from his past, especially, _especially_ that Saiyan brat that almost ruined him several months before.

_Great Lord Baby, what was I THINKING? _Trunks snarled slightly, trying not to picture himself kissing her distorted ugly Saiyan face. He hated her face. He hated even _remembering_ her face because it brought back so much anger from his past, from before Lord Baby freed him. It wasn't too hard nowadays to get her out of his mind, however. He usually visited a common whore if he found his mind wandering to the wrong bitch, and it usually eased his suffering for a while. But something earlier that day triggered a new swarm of memories, and Trunks couldn't place what that catalyst was. Now, he kept seeing the Saiyan in his mind, blown to bits through a final energy wave move, and instead of feeling joy, he continued to feel sick.

Just the thought of the girl dying brought another wave of nausea to him. Trunks closed his eyes and tried to breathe more deeply to relax, but something was deeply disturbing him. His legs tensed with anxiety and his hands clutched the pillow from underneath with such great force, he knew if he lingered on that bed any longer, he'd end up burning the sheets with his rising ki.

Trunks sat up and brought his hands to the covers over his knees. He breathed slowly and tried to clear his mind of thoughts as he brought his right hand to his forehead. He frowned slightly as he realized he was hot. With a slight sigh, he tossed the covers off of him and turned so his legs were propped off the bed, as if he were about to stand up. With an inaudible groan he bent forward and brushed both hands through his lengthening hair.

_Great Lord of Tuffles, I hate her_. He took a deep breath and let it out as he felt another wave of anger flow through him. _I hate her_.

A cold voice pierced the darkness from the other side of the room, "Lord Baby said we had to sleep. What are you doing _up?_"

Trunks brought his hands out of his hair and propped them on his knees as he looked up to Goten. He narrowed his eyes and hissed, "_You_ haven't been sleeping _either_."

Goten snarled and dug his face partially into his pillow, "At least I'm _trying, _asshole."

Trunks snorted as he adjusted his seating position, "Stop taking out your _sexual frustration_ on me, you dick."

"Son of a bitch!" Goten suddenly sat up and growled, "Get back to bed _NOW_, or else I'm going to report you to Lord Baby."

"You'd never do that," Trunks faked a yawn, "you hypocrite."

There was a brief silence that hit the room as Goten's shoulders began to shake. Slowly, his voice became audible as he chuckled aloud, "Heheheheh... Heheheheh!" He grinned darkly and nodded once to Trunks. He then brought his left hand up and gave a little thumbs-up in the dark, "Touché."

Another silence then hit the room as both Tuffles sat looking down at their hands. Trunks cleared his throat slightly as he observed his left hand. He always wore his gloves nowadays, even in bed. The last thing he needed was a question about that stupid irremovable ring that cursed his life with constant memories of the Saiyan bitch. Even looking at his glove nowadays triggered memories of her. There just was no escape. Trunks sighed audibly as he once again felt antsy. He needed a change of subject, and fast.

"So anything new happen today?" Trunks groaned at his lack of creativity with the question. Cliché phrases like that really did seem to get old, and they never really seemed to work as conversation starters.

"Nah," Goten drummed his fingers on his knees and shook his head, "the usual. Well…" Goten opened his mouth to say something, but a quick glance to Trunks made him think again, "No, it doesn't matter." Goten looked away to the farthest wall, and then looked up to the fan on the ceiling, "Oh yeah!"

Trunks tilted his head slightly as he watched Goten, his eyebrows frowning somewhat in anticipation.

"There was _one_ bitch, yeah…" Goten shook his head, "I had to put her down today."

"Put her down, huh?" Trunks raised his right brow, "Was there a trial?"

"No, no." Goten continued to shake his head, "It didn't need a trial, according to Lord Baby's new law."

Trunks blinked and frowned, "Which one?"

"Oh pah," Goten scrunched his nose, "Does it really matter? She was just asking for it."

A brief silence hung on a thread as Trunks tilted his head even more and leaned forward in curiosity, "So what'd she do?"

Another silence fell on them as Goten looked down and then brought his eyes to the nightstand beside his bed. With quick hands, he grabbed his cigarette pack and hit it against his arm a few times, "She said she was pregnant with my kid."

"Ouch." Trunks grimaced.

"Yeah, seriously." Goten unpacked a cigarette and brought it to his mouth, "What's that, like, the second girl this month?"

Trunks shook his head, "Well, you'd better thank Baby for the new jurisdiction against Tuffle elite offspring, or else you'd have multiple kids around the world."

"Don't _remind_ me." Goten lit the cigarette with a shaking hand and exhaled quickly. "As it is, there's one too many alive right now."

Trunks froze as a foreign emotion suddenly swarmed through him. It was almost… _warm_, as if he were _happy_ about hearing such pessimistic news. That thought horrified him and his eyes widened with a resurge of sickness.

_I hate her._ Trunks hung his head in his hands, realizing with dismay there was no way to get her out of his mind. _I hate her!_

"Yeah, I hate her too." Goten inhaled slowly, "But it'll all be over soon."

"Huh?" Trunks looked up, not realizing he had said his thoughts aloud.

"Want one? It might calm you down." Goten offered his pack in Trunks' direction.

"No," Trunks grimaced, "I don't know why you even started those in the first place."

"Reasons." Goten brought his left hand to the ashtray and flicked the base of the cigarette downward.

Trunks shook his head with a scowl, "It only detracts from your battle technique. How are you to remain an elite if you destroy your stamina like that?"

Goten snorted and brought the cigarette back to his mouth, "I don't do it that often."

Trunks narrowed his eyes, "I thought your dream was to be as strong as Gohan."

"HAH!" Goten coughed out a laugh and cackled slightly, "Gohan's a pussy. No," Goten flicked his ashes again and smirked to Trunks, "There's more to a fighter than just brute strength."

"Like what?"

"Character." Goten shook the cigarette toward Trunks, "Like Gohan… he's a sissy. He holds back. He never shows his true nature until one of his toys decides to bite him. But I…." Goten's face suddenly turned into a sneer, a dark glint flashing in his eye, "I'd love to tear the limbs off of her one by one." Goten laughed under his breath, "And I'd start with her fingers. I'd _break_ them, each one with a _SNAP_." He held up his right hand and balled it into a fist, "Can you hear it, Trunks. Can't you just _hear _it?"

Trunks tried not to hear it. God, he wanted to, but the thought of her suffering made him angry. He just wanted to kill her and get it over with, but something screamed inside him to let that thought go. He hated her. "I hate her!"

"I hate her too, _GOD!_" Goten hit his knees and then brought his left hand up to take another shaky inhalation, "I wish I could be there right now."

Trunks frowned and leaned back on his bed, breathing deeply and doing his best to keep his hands from trembling, "Do you think it's still going on?"

"Probably." Goten stared down at his cigarette. "I can't imagine the Namek would let her go down without a fight."

"Stupid Namek." Trunks growled as he stared back up at the ceiling, remembering a situation that happened months before, "He always gets in the way."

"Don't worry," Goten smirked at Trunks' form as he snuffed out the cigarette, "He'll be dead soon."

"Yeah." Trunks growled, "And I hope he spends the rest of his days in Hell."

–––––––

He snickered again as his teal eyes flashed coldly. His mouth twisted as it grew to dangerous grin. He looked insane as the flames rose behind him, the smoke blanketing the sky. Clouds formed from the condensation of the ash, and the whole world was cast into a dancing array of shadows.

A cool wind sifted a few bangs as Gohan stepped forward, his eyes wild with madness and locked on the Namekian warrior in a sadistic death glare. His grin twisted even further as his voice rose to his throat. He opened his mouth and cackled heavily, his body shaking from laughter as his eyes remained cold and devoid of emotion. He could have been a machine, his body an empty shell of a tool. He was just a _thing, _a pawn, a toy being manipulated by Baby – thrown to the dogs as a sacrifice. It didn't matter if he came back successful or not. Either way, the real Gohan was dead, and the impostor continued to laugh, his voice ringing like nails scratching a blackboard.

"Hehehehahaha!" Gohan's eyes flashed again as he wiped soot off his cheek with his right hand. "Funny."

Piccolo continued to snarl and clenched his fists tighter as he dropped into a battle stance.

"Ironic, actually." Gohan's grin turned to a sneer as his lips attempted a smile, "My former sensei… This should be good." Gohan followed Piccolo by dropping into a stance as well, his right hand slightly ahead of his left as his body faced the Namek at a slight angle.

"I don't remember ever training a _Tuffle_," Piccolo snapped with bared fangs, "You were _never_ my pupil!"

"Hehehehehahah!" Gohan sneered, "And you were never the _master_," he tilted his head with a dark smirk, "now _were_ you?"

"Papa! Stop this!" Pan pushed herself up on shaky legs and stepped back several feet as she watched Gohan and Piccolo staring each other down, "Just leave use alone. Just go!"

"Heheheheh," Gohan snickered as he glanced at the weakened Saiyan, "Isn't that _cute._" His eyes returned to Piccolo as his smile widened, "She doesn't want you to _die_."

Piccolo's eyes narrowed as he released a flow of power from his body and rose his level slightly, preparing to push it up at great speed, like a runner before a mad dash. His eyes flicked to Pan and back to the Super Saiyan Gohan as he felt a bead of sweat form on his brow, "Pan!" His eyes flicked back to her, "Get out of here."

Pan stepped back and blinked, "What?"

"You heard me! Get out of here **_NOW!_**" His voice boomed across the fields and forest, fire and mountains as Pan was blown back from both shock and from a sudden burst of air as his ki flared.

"But!" Pan shook her head and frowned confusedly, "I don't understand. P-Picco–"

"–I can't let her do that." Gohan interrupted, his eyes glowing red for a split second as he narrowed his eyes to Piccolo. "She is my mission."

"Yeah, and your mission just changed."

Gohan suddenly scowled as his lips bared his teeth in rage, "Maybe you don't _understand_, _Namek_!" His blonde hair suddenly moved to an invisible wind as his mouth snapped, "_You_ are _not_ my mission!"

"Times _change!_" Piccolo brought his hands before him as his aura began to glow gold around him, "You mess with _Pan_…" Suddenly, a large blue ball of ki began to form in his hands, pumped with a tremendous amount of energy, "… You mess with _ME!_" The ball continued to grow, charging as Piccolo took a deep breath and then shouted at the top of his lungs, "LIGHT GRENADE!"

What started as a small ball suddenly surged with power and instantaneously grew to a giant beam that burst forth from his hands at top speed. The air sizzled and crackled under the heat of the cannon beam as it shot right toward Gohan at point-blanc range.

Gohan's eyes widened in the brief moment it took to hit him, and he screamed in surprise as his body took it head-on, falling back under the pounding heat and force of the blast. His white shirt was singed and charred as he fell backward, but before he hit the ground, he rolled out of his fall in a backward somersault. With a cry of defiance, he landed on both feet and stood upright in a battle position, his face red from a sudden rage that emerged from within him.

"You _FOOL!_" Gohan snarled, "You just declared _war_, Namek!" He shot his hands before him and screamed, "Now _DIE!_"

Red energy balls formed in his hands at a blinding pace and sped toward Piccolo in a rapid succession of blasts, each tearing through the air at such a speed, the wind whistled from the surge of power. Piccolo spun out of the way and countered with his own blasts before flying upward and dodging in the air. Gohan still followed suit, throwing red blasts in a machine-gun style, cackling over the sizzling heat, throwing his head back like a madman as his body shook from laughter.

"Tuffle _TRASH!_" Piccolo stopped his dodges in mid-air and with a loud grunt, started deflecting Gohan's blasts back to him. Gohan continued to laugh as he dodged his own attacks and in a sweeping motion, suddenly burst from the ground and flew toward Piccolo at top speed. Piccolo stood fast as Gohan's fist whooshed by his face, and delivered several punches of his own as they only struck air. They both kicked and dodged in the air, throwing punches and curses as they made blow after blow and spit at each other in hate and detest.

"You should have stayed _dead!_" Gohan threw his fists toward Piccolo and spun around with a kick that landed a hard blow in Piccolo's side, knocking him away a few meters before Gohan flew at him again with rage in his eyes, "God damn me for letting you _live!_"

"Are you talking about the time you almost killed your _brother?_" Piccolo punched Gohan in the stomach and elbowed him in the ribs, "He–"

"–Who gives a _damn_ about my brother!" Gohan punched toward his face and at the last moment delivered a blast which Piccolo blocked and countered as he threw an unsuccessful hit at Gohan's gut, "He's as much of a _weakling_ as _you!_"

_"WEAKLING?"_ Piccolo smashed Gohan backward and breathed heavily as he snarled.

"Yes, you are a _weakling_. You were _never _any good to _any of us!_" Gohan spit blood and sneered, "You reached your maximum years ago, and since then you've been as _feeble_ as an _OLD DOG!_"

"I'll show _you_ 'OLD DOG'!" Piccolo dove toward Gohan with a violent scream that shattered the heavens.

They fought fist-on-fist again, each screaming louder than before, charging up with every blast, releasing their hatred in every blow, each seething with rage. Gohan delivered several quick blows to Piccolo's side but was matched by Piccolo pounding him in the jaw, and as Gohan flew upward, Piccolo phased out and reappeared above Gohan, smashing him down toward the fire.

The clouds overhead had grown even thicker by this point. Everything seemed to be a shade of gray in the world as a sudden _crash_ sounded above the battle and lightning began to dance in the sky.

Gohan flew up toward Piccolo with his fists bared, his teeth grinding in temper. His golden aura continued to flicker to red as he vanished and reappeared behind Piccolo, nailing him in the back and ripping one sleeve from Piccolo's gi.

Piccolo flew forward but stopped himself in time to turn around and glare at Gohan who was suddenly just levitating there, snickering under his breath as he held up the cloth from Piccolo's uniform.

"The only things you were _ever good for_ were the _dragonballs_."

"_What?_" Piccolo snapped.

"Don't you get it, Namek?" Gohan sneered, "You never had _any_ friends. _Nobody_ cared about you! The only good use you _ever_ made of your life was creating the dragonballs, but we don't _need_ those anymore." He brought his fists back to a fighting position and added with a triumphant smirk, "We _don't_ _need you_."

"Good!" Lightning crashed above them as Piccolo snarled in response, "I don't need _Baby_, either."

"_Nobody_ is going to miss you when you _die_." Gohan sneered as he clenched his fists victoriously, "_Especially _me."

The thunderclouds that had formed from the condensation of ash suddenly burst forth a torrent of rain. Water poured down in thickets, drowning the air in icy wetness. It hit Gohan's and Piccolo's shoulders as they stared each other down, ignoring the world around them as their auras flickered in the downpour.

Piccolo growled angrily as he flashed his fangs, "You actually think I'd _CARE?_"

"You're pathetic." Gohan spit through the rain as it ran past his eyes, "You're better off dead."

Piccolo's wet gi clung to his skin as he made a fist and snarled, "And I'll take you down with me!" Then without a moment's hesitation, Piccolo sprung toward Gohan again and the battle erupted once more, with fists flying, shouts screaming, kicks thrusting, and energy blasting in sparks that triggered lightning flashes around them.

Steam then rose from the ground, causing a haunting mist in the air as the wildfire was drenched by the torrents. The air was filled with the sounds of thunder, hissing, pounding, screaming, and the crackling of lightning from both cloud and foe.

"It made me happier when you were dead the _first_ time, _Namek!_" Gohan swung his fist and then stopped to kick out at him, missing by a hair as Piccolo jumped back and threw his legs forward, almost pounding Gohan in the stomach, except the Tuffle managed to grab the legs in time and spin Piccolo away from him as he cackled in the humor of it all. "Do you know _why?_"

"I don't _give a damn!_" Piccolo flew forward and threw an empty punch past Gohan's face, but was suddenly stopped short as Gohan's right fist rammed into Piccolo's gut, completely knocking the wind from him. Piccolo's eyes went wide as he tried to gasp in air, but Gohan's fist stayed planted in him as they flew back through the torrential rain, lightning exploding around them.

"Because I didn't have to deal with faking a friendship with you!" Gohan shrieked over the rain, blinking away the water, "I only did it because I wanted to be _nice_, and _look where it got us in the end!_" Gohan spit water from his mouth as steam came up in clouds, smelling of carbon and ash, sweat and decay. "You, training my bastard child and plotting to destroy my master! _Shame on you, Namek!_ It's time you were taught a _lesson!_"

Suddenly, without warning, Gohan screamed in a rage. His ki rose to such a great extent, Piccolo was thrown back from the force as Gohan's ki spiked and all water evaporated within a hundred yards of the screaming Tuffle. Lightning crashed around them even more, closer and closer, as the winds picked up and spiraled around Gohan's form.

"Shit!" Piccolo flew back and tenderly probed his stomach. He brought his hands before his face and realized they were covered in his green blood. "Shit! Shit!" He panted and glared up to Gohan's golden form, but his jaw dropped as he saw what was happening.

Lightning was striking him over and over, and with each strike, his ki rose even further. Lightning was even emanating from him, growing from his body, sparking around him as if the air itself were crackling under such intense heat. One probe at his power, and Piccolo realized with dread that Gohan truly did transform.

Gohan had just transformed to Super Saiyan 2.

Piccolo had not felt such power from him in years. He didn't even know that Gohan could _reach_ that stage anymore. Something about Gohan was not right. He should not have been able to do any of this, after so many years of giving up training. And this… _this _was going to be a challenge to him.

"_Piccolo!_"

Piccolo spun at the voice and with anxious eyes saw Pan flying toward them.

"Goddamnit, _no!_" Piccolo yelled over the rain, "Get _out _of here, you're going to get in my _way!_"

"Yes!" Gohan cackled maniacally, "_YES!_ Yes! _Hahahaha!_" The sparks flew around him as his eyes narrowed gleefully, his body shaking in madness, "_Yes,_ little girl, come to _daddy _and _play_!"

"Piccolo! Piccolo!" Pan flew to the Namek's side and panted heavily, "How badly are you hurt?"

"You _IDIOT!" _Piccolo suddenly smacked her back and punched her toward the ground, "This is _MY FIGHT!_"

Pan stopped herself in mid-air and scowled, "You're hurt!"

"Listen kid," Piccolo snarled, "This is _my_ battle. You can take any other, but _this _one…" Piccolo growled up to Gohan, "… is _personal._"

"But Pic–!"

"–_Get out of here!_" Piccolo threw a blast toward her as a warning shot, but the rain and wind made it go off-course and it headed straight toward Pan.

Pan's eyes widened as her body froze in the surprise, the blast coming at her full-force. But right as it was about to hit, a hand phased out of nowhere and knocked it out of the way. Pan blinked and looked up toward Gohan, looming over her menacingly with a triumphant scowl.

"You almost stole my kill, hehehehehahahah!" Gohan cackled as he looked down upon Pan, "Now that would have been _funny!_ Hahahaha!"

"Get away from him!" Piccolo screamed toward Pan as he charged up and sprinted toward Gohan, but the Tuffle was too quick for him. In a sweeping movement, Gohan grabbed Pan's gi and spun around using her surprised form as a shield.

It was too late for Piccolo to stop. In a split second, his fist was in her gut and her eyes widened with a sudden shock of pain.

"Ahh!" Piccolo sprang back with wide eyes and grabbed his right fist in surprise. "_Pan!"_

"Hahehehahahahah!" Gohan threw back his head and cackled again, pinning Pan against his chest with his right hand as his left hand grabbed her hair, "_Look, _Namek! You're _killing_ her!"

Pan screamed as Gohan pulled her head back and brought his head down to sniff her neck, and heard him whisper hoarsely in her ear, "Don't worry, _Saiyan._ If you stay still, it won't hurt… as _long_." Gohan cackled as his hot breath ran along her cheek, steamy just like the air around them.

"Unhand her." Piccolo raised his hands and narrowed his eyes, "Now."

"You forget, _Namek_," Gohan snickered and sneered up at him by angling his face downward, giving his eyes a more menacing look, "She is my _mission_."

Pan lowered her eyebrows as she looked up at him – the man who used to be her father. His teal eyes were still cold, even though all the heat surrounding him. He might as well have been living ice, his eyes glazed over as his heart stood frozen.

"No."

Gohan looked down at her and sneered, "What?"

"No!" Pan closed her eyes and focused her energy. "No!"

With a sudden burst of power, Gohan was suddenly thrown off her as she spiked her ki. In his surprise, he let go of her hair and in a split moment, Pan spun and nailed a hard punch to his jaw, sending him flying back.

As he soared through the air, Pan phased out and reappeared above him, and with both hands clasped above her head, she brought her arms down to nail a punch to Gohan stomach, sending him crashing toward the Earth.

He hit the ground with blinding speed, the shock of his impact causing a visible seismographic quake that sent the ground into waves around him. Dust, debris and wet ash flew up in a blinding cloud as Piccolo flew toward Pan with a scowl, "NO PAN!"

Pan panted and looked to Piccolo in confusion, "What?"

"_BAD MOVE!"_ Piccolo screamed at her over the rain, "NEVER, _NEVER_ let a more powerful enemy get more than several arms' reach from you!"

Pan squinted in the rain and frowned, "Why!"

The air suddenly shifted. Everything seemed to alter in a split second. The world stood still, the rain lingered on the air, and the lightning suddenly stopped as the sky suddenly turned a bright blue.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" Piccolo dove into Pan and knocked them both at an angle from their position in the sky. Not even a brief microsecond later, a powerful Super Saiyan 2 _Kamehameha_ wave tore through the space and time at which they had been just a brief moment before.

"What… What–!"

"_That's_ why!" Piccolo frowned at her, "He has _far_ more energy now! _One_ of those blasts could _take you out!_"

"That doesn't scare _me!_" Pan spit toward the ground and bared her fists.

"Say that _after_ he's dead!" Piccolo then shot toward the ground, leaving her in the air as several lightning bolts crashed around her.

Pan blinked a moment as his words settled into her mind. _After he's dead_.

"No…" Pan suddenly realized the meaning behind the words. It was something that never fully hit her until now. Gohan was going to die. Gohan, her _father_, was going to _die_. And more than that… She looked at her hands as they trembled… More than that, it was going to happen _today_… right _now_… "No… No!"

Pan felt her chest tighten as she found it suddenly hard to breathe, "_Papa_…"

There just had to be a way to save him. There just _had_ to be. Because if she couldn't find a way…

––––––

––––––

–5/14/05–


	51. The Trials of Training

CHAPTER 51:  
The Trials of "Training"

"And then he looked me in the eye and told me that I wasn't good enough. Can you believe that putz, he told me I wasn't good enough to handle her? So guess what _I _did! I took him on right then and there, yes I did. I showed him who was boss. _Nobody_ messed with a Mystic, and he got what he had coming to him! Yes, yes he did." The old Kai propped his head on his hands and frowned, "Of course, that was when I was much younger. Fifteen generations ago! You were able to _do_ those things way back when, and I sure did them, yes, yes I did! Like there was this _one_ time…"

Goku groaned and frowned as he continued to rub Ancient Kai's back, his mind trying to wander somewhere else, the old Kai's constant babbling acting as a soporific drone at the back of his mind. He yawned in boredom, sighing heavily for the fifteenth time that day.

"… Celestial Kai and I pulled a prank on the South Kai. Bah, I must have been only a few thousand years old back then. We took his dog, or whatever the thing was, and wrapped it in toilet paper, and then after it was mummified, we doused it in water and let loose on the South Kai's planet! Hahaha–snort–haha_haaa!_ Ahh, those were the good old days! I – not so _hard_, Goku – I was such a rebel in my youth, I never understood how I grew to be such a charming young lad!"

Goku groaned again and moved his hands to massage the Kai's right shoulder, "Is it better now? Not too hard?"

The old Kai's eyes glazed a moment as he reflected on better days and he grinned widely, staring at the grassy horizon as he lay on the grass, Goku kneeling above him, rubbing his back.

"Ahh, did I ever tell you the story of how I dated the lovely _West_ Ka–"

"–_Yes_." Kibitoshin Kai frowned and crossed his arms, looking away. He was seated several feet away from the other Kai, attempting to meditate, but nothing ever seemed to block out Ancient Kai's stories.

"She was such a _beauty! _You should have _seen_ her, Kibito! What a body! And to think she was your fifteen-generations-great grandmother!" Ancient Kai chuckled a bit under his breath, "And _I_ could have been your ever-so-great grandfather!"

Kibito groaned and covered his face, "We've been _over_ this, Elder."

"I had to fight Celestial Kai over her, you know!" Ancient Kai furrowed his brows, "He told me I wasn't good enough! And I showed _him!_"

Goku moaned and shook his head, "Ancient Kai, you _just told_ us this story."

"No, no, but this is the best part!"

Both Kibito and Goku groaned loudly, the younger of the two looking slightly more drained.

Goku sighed again and dug deeper around the elder Kai's spine, careful not to press too hard. "Ancient Kai?"

"Yes, Goku? Oh and Kibito," Ancient Kai brought out his right hand and gestured to the younger Kai, "can you grab me a glass of water? I'm parched!"

Kibito sighed and grumbled, "_Yes _Elder…" He stood up and wiped his outfit clear of grass and tried to keep a steady face as he walked to the camouflaged ice machine.

Goku watched Kibito walk off and then looked down at Ancient Kai again, unable to hide the concerned frown on his face. "Ancient Kai?" he asked again, confusion mixed in slightly with his voice.

"Hmm?" The old Kai closed his eyes and rested them on his hands, breathing out slowly.

"I don't understand something. I mean…" Goku's eyebrows frowned as he looked up to the clouds, "I don't understand how this is helping me _train_."

"Patience, Goku, _patience!_" Ancient Kai yawned into his arms and rotated his shoulder blades a bit to see if he still had feeling in them.

"I know, you keep _telling_ me that, but–"

"–'Patience is a virtue', isn't that what they say on your planet?" Ancient Kai opened his eyes and looked to the horizon in front of him with glossy nostalgic tears in his eyes, "Why, that reminds me of a very good _story!_"

"_No!_" Goku brought his hands up and stumbled back before he managed to regain control of his reflexes. He groaned audibly, sniffling as if he were about to endure the worst needle of his lifetime, "_Please_, _anything_ but a story!"

"Oh pfft! Stories are what makes one _wise_, Goku." Ancient Kai shifted in the grass and leaned his chin on the green blades, suddenly frowning uncomfortably. "Oh no, no, this won't do."

Goku placed his hands on his knees and looked up in confusion, "Huh?"

"This _grass!_" The elder Kai sat up and ran his fingers along it, "It has to _go_."

"It… _what?_" Goku blinked and looked around, "Go _where?_"

Ancient Kai then stood up, wiping a few blades of grass off his outfit. He then looked down to Goku with a proud grin, "Goku!" His grin turned into a bright old smile, his crooked teeth reflecting the ever-present light. "You are hereby assigned a _new_ training mission!"

Goku suddenly shot up, excitement flooding his face, "_Really?_" He couldn't contain his joy as a surge of adrenalin pumped through his body. He began to bounce back and forth between his two feet as he clenched his fists and felt ready to power up, "You name it! I'm ready!"

"As of _today_…" Ancient Kai brought his right hand up, closed his eyes, and cleared his throat regally, "I dub thee…" He waved his hand about casually, "my official _landscaper!_"

Goku stopped cold and suddenly felt all his blood leaving his face as he echoed incredulously, "L…L-land_WHAT_er?"

"Yes, yes!" The old Kai turned around and flicked his wrist at the countryside, "All _this_. It has to _go_."

"B-But…" Goku's eyes went wide as his jaw dropped, "W…what exactly _is_ that?"

"Here!" Ancient Kai held out his right hand and with a giant _POOF_, a large lawnmower materialized out of nowhere. "You can start with the lawn."

"The… the _lawn?_" Goku looked around quizzically, the expression on face completely lost and confused. "What lawn?"

"_This_ lawn." The Kai spread his hands out and turned in a slow circle. "My lawn."

"But… But all I see is _grass_."

"_Exactly_, Goku." The old Kai gestured to the fields again and nodded, "All of it needs to be mown. Right _now_. I want it done by lunchtime!" With a haughty grin, Ancient Kai handed the lawn mower to the boy and nodded once in contentment.

"Aw, _man…_" Goku looked at the machine, "But the whole _planet_ is covered in grass. That's _so much…_"

Ancient Kai raised an eyebrow, "Ahhh! _I_ see! You don't _want_ to do it?"

"No no, I'll _do_ it. It's just…" Goku frowned down at the lawnmower, "How do you turn it _on?_"

"Oh it's simple, really! It pretty much runs itself!" Ancient Kai took a step closer to Goku and looked down at the handle, "You'll see what I mean. Here, press the blue button."

"The blue…?" Goku frowned and looked down, noticing several buttons on the machine, "That one?"

"Yes, that one. But, Goku, before you turn it on–!"

With a proud grin, Goku pressed the blue button.

The lawnmower suddenly roared to life. Dust and soil arose from around it in clouds as it gained a tremendous power.

"See, that wasn't so ha–_AAAHH?_" Goku suddenly shrieked as the lawnmower took off with him in tow. As speedy as a bullet, the lawnmower zipped forward, going faster and faster as it roared louder and louder. Goku held on for dear life, screaming at the top of his lungs as the wind stung and choked him. His hands were a death grip on the handle as he felt his gi start tearing under the sheer force of the air friction. Everything seemed to be roaring. He was deaf, the wind was so loud around him as his voice was muted in the thunder of the storm. He must have circled the planet several times within the second, the lawnmower was so incredibly fast.

Goku became aware what was happening several seconds into it, as his brain suddenly caught up with his body. He tried to let go of the handle, but the impact of the wind prevented him from being able to open his hand. He tried to grimace under the effort, but the minute he opened his mouth, his bottom lip became a victim to the wind, and his whole mouth became distorted as he grunted, doing everything he could to free himself from the thing.

He remotely heard Ancient Kai screaming something over telepathic waves, but the wind's roar blocked out any thoughts that Goku was able to form. All he knew was that he had to get his damn hand off the handle! Concentrating his energy, Goku raised his power level and tried to push his ki in the opposite direction of the demonic device, hoping to slow it down, but the more power he tried to summon up, the more he felt drained.

_DON'T FEED IT!_ The thought rang loud and clear even through the storm in Goku's head. _IT'S FED BY POWER LEVEL!_

_What am I supposed to DO! _Goku continued to grimace in the roaring wind, watching the world flash by in colors and stripes, mostly blurs.

_MOW THE LAWN!_

Goku would have growled if he could have, but he was finding it hard to catch his breath in such a tremendous hurricane of wind blasting him at hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of miles per hour. And then, suddenly the answer to his problems dawned upon him. He would have smiled if he could. _Wait, I know how to stop it!_

With a silent scream, Goku charged up to Super Saiyan and before he could be drained, pushed his power even further, raising it as far as he could go. Suddenly, with a burst of power, he ascended to Super Saiyan 2 and continued to let it rise, concentrating on raising it even further, but at this point, he was feeling his power beginning to drain even more.

_No, wait, Goku, what are you DOING?_

With his second-level power, he pushed as hard as he could in the opposite direction of the stupid mechanical device to which he got himself glued. Although it was temporary, he managed to slow it down enough that his hands slipped clear. With a powerful _THUD_ that sent him sliding several miles along the surface, Goku skidded and rolled, shrieking more from surprise than pain as he came to a complete stop.

"Wow." Goku blinked and shook his head, his ears still ringing from the roaring. "Wow."

Suddenly, he was blown to the side as a blurring thing whirred past him, almost taking off his left arm if he had been any closer. "WOAH!"

_Goku? Goku, can you hear me?_

Goku frowned as he tried to pinpoint the Kais' energy. Finding it a few miles away, Goku blasted off with his second-level speed and within a few seconds, found himself at ground zero. He landed behind the old Kai and walked up to him casually, smiling mischievously.

_Goku?_ The voice of the old Kai blasted through his mind, ringing ten times as loud now that Goku was standing behind him.

Goku tapped Ancient Kai's shoulder and grinned, "Yeah?"

"GOKU!" The old Kai spun around turning a pale purple, "Oh you almost gave me a heart attack. You… Wait, you…!" The elder's eyes widened suddenly, as a realization struck him, "But if you're _here_, then who's _driving_ that thing?"

Goku frowned in confusion, "What thing?"

"_THAT _thing!" Ancient Kai pointed outward just as a blur made its way past them, issuing a loud supersonic boom that shook the ground. "My lawnmower!"

"Oh!" Goku blinked twice as his brain tried to turn a few gears. "I guess…" Goku frowned slightly as he couldn't find the answer, "Nobody?"

"_NOBODY?_" Ancient Kai shrieked and put his hands to his balding head, "_NOBODY?_ Great Lord of Kais!"

"Hey you two, I'm back."

Ancient Kai and Goku looked up to see Kibitoshin Kai walking up the hill with two drinks in his hands, "I got water for both of you in case you both wanted–"

The old Kai's eyes widened as he rasped out loudly, "_STAY THERE!_"

Suddenly, the blur came back, roaring past in another supersonic boom. The impact of the wind knocked Kibito Kai back and sent the two cups flying in the air, spilling water over the freshly-cut grass.

Ancient Kai wailed in desperation while flinging his hands up, "Runaway lawnmower on the loose!"

"Oh _no_, not _again!_" Kibito growled and shook his head as he picked up the cups, "That thing lasts for _days!_"

"My poor baby!" Ancient Kai dropped to the ground and kissed the grass, "My lawn's going to be _ruined!_" He hugged the grass for a few seconds as another whirring blur passed by, closer to Kibito's direction, and then stood up with a scowl on his face.

Goku frowned slightly and shifted his stance as he powered down. With his black hair once again free in the breeze, he put his hands nervously behind him, "So…" He looked down and kicked a dirt patch among the grass, "Now what?"

"I guess we wait, depending on how much energy you put into that thing." Kibito scowled, "It'll mow the planet one row at a time. It mows in a spiral."

All three of them stood there a moment, looking blankly toward the recently mowed row, when suddenly another blur boomed past them, knocking them back a few feet. The wind shook the ground as it went on, and they both looked after where the blur vanished before turning their heads to the opposite direction and saw the blur once again return in a giant boom.

But there was something about this one blast of air that got all three of them to stop and look at each other. There was something more powerful about it; but even as the blur left, the power was still there. It radiated from around them, seemingly coming from all directions at once.

"What the…?" Goku looked up to the sky and frowned as he felt a powerful surge he had not felt in a long, long time. But it was so long, he had a hard time placing it. "Is that Gohan?"

"No." Kibito shook his head, "That can't be him. But I can feel him. He's definitely out there."

Ancient Kai coughed and frowned slightly toward Kibito as the blur roared by again. "Where is my ball? My ball!" He looked around concernedly as if he had misplaced it somewhere, "My ball!"

"Shusugoro and Sugoro are watching something on it." Kibito frowned, "But this is curious, indeed."

"King Yemma damn it all!" Ancient Kai stomped his foot, "Get me my _ball!_"

Kibito grimaced slightly, but held in his complaint, "_Yes_, Elder Kai…"

As Kibitoshin Kai walked off, Goku couldn't help but frown as he continued to look up to the sky. "That's so odd…"

"Hmm?" Ancient Kai turned to Goku as the blur whizzed by again, "What is?"

A moment passed as they looked at each other, each wearing a concerned frown. The wind ruffled Goku's locks as his eyes stayed glued to the older Kai, his mind reeling with realizations and surprise.

"That ki." Goku's frown deepened as he looked to the Kai, "It's coming from Snake Way."

–––––––

–––––––

–5/17/05–


	52. A Death Worthy

CHAPTER 52:  
A Death Worthy…

The rain pounded down so hard, it was hard for Piccolo to see through the waterfall and steam. The air was roaring, the ground sizzling, the clouds flashing from yellow to red as Piccolo dodged blasts, speeding toward Gohan through the storm. He landed several yards away from Gohan, scowling angrily as water dripped down his face.

Gohan stepped back and smirked slightly as he cocked his head slightly, "Back for _more?_" His smirk became a grimace as he bared his teeth, "You never quite know when to _quit_."

"Sorry, kid," Piccolo stepped forward, his hands clenched as he cracked his knuckles, "That just isn't my style."

"Heheh… Heheheh…" Gohan stepped toward Piccolo, his teal eyes reflecting the lightning that crackled around his body. He looked wild, his blonde hair a ratted mess as the rain weighed it down, and his nose scrunched angrily as he continued to grimace.

"Look at you," Piccolo stood his ground as he looked Gohan over steadily, taking in the Tuffle his friend had become.

It was hard for Piccolo to believe that this person was the same pupil he took under his wing so many years ago. He couldn't understand how Pan could possibly confuse her father with this monster. Gohan was insane, a madman, fighting without any real cause or purpose. And he was a threat to Pan. If Piccolo didn't arrive in time, she could have _died_. Piccolo scowled angrily as he narrowed his eyes to the fiend. Piccolo was going to teach Gohan a lesson he'd never forget.

"You're a rabid _dog_," Piccolo snarled to the Tuffle as he raised his fist. "And I'm going to put you out of your _misery_."

"Sticks and stones," Gohan grinned darkly, the lightning flashing red around his body, "Or," he dropped into a battle pose, lifting his chin up haughtily, "would you like to _demonstrate?_"

Piccolo snapped, his anger tearing through the roof as he screamed a rough, "HYAAA!" and charged forward, throwing his weight into his run as he brought his hands before him and fired rapid ki blasts as mud flew behind him in mountains of soil. Gohan stepped to the side and dodged Piccolo's punch, but as he made his kick, Piccolo grabbed Gohan's left leg and spun him down into the mud. Piccolo punched Gohan's back and released another shot, but Gohan rolled out of the way and jumped up with a kick that sent Piccolo sprawling back. As Piccolo lost his balance, Gohan dove forward with a punch, but Piccolo grabbed it and, twisting his body, he threw Gohan over his shoulder and sent the Tuffle back into the mud.

Gohan arose, fuming, his eyes glowing a pale red as he snarled angrily, "Eat _dirt!_" With that, he threw his hands before him and spiked his ki higher, blasting the mud around him toward Piccolo as he stepped back with a large scowl. Gohan turned and saw he was standing by a rather large boulder. With a heave, he grabbed hold of it, and lifted it from the ground. As Piccolo made his way toward him, Gohan threw it at top speed, and with a loud _CRACK_ of power, it shattered into a thousand pebbles aimed toward Piccolo at several hundred miles an hour.

Piccolo had no time to think, and flipped back as the stones made their way to him, blasting them as he tumbled without his hands. Then he landed on his feet and immediately charged Gohan again, screaming as he threw blast after blast. As Gohan deflected them, Piccolo phased out and reappeared behind Gohan, spinning and delivering a roundhouse kick straight to Gohan's back. Gohan flew forward ten meters before stopping short and turning, blasting toward Piccolo with insane laughter.

"Hahehaheha," Gohan cackled as the red lightning bolts danced around his aura, "Now don't tire yourself out, _Namek!_ I expect you to die _violently!_"

"Just _try!_" Piccolo phased out and appeared by Gohan's side, throwing a punch to his ribs. Gohan hit Piccolo's hand away and threw the Namek back as he flipped forward and with entire weight behind it, kicked Piccolo as hard as he could in the ribs.

Piccolo flew so fast, the rain whistled by his ears and landed on a grassy field at least a mile away from where he had been fighting Gohan. However, as he sat up, he was immediately struck in the jaw by a hard fist that came out of nowhere. Piccolo flew back again, but caught himself before crashing into a cliff. With one glance around, Piccolo noted the terrain to be right outside the local town. Immediately concerned for any casualties, Piccolo was determined to take this fight someplace else.

Piccolo flew upward, but was kicked down again by legs that were quicker than his arms. Piccolo flew as fast as a bullet down into the mud, shaking the ground as his body formed a large crater of mud and dead grass. Piccolo sat up and spit out some of the foul wet top-soil, warily looking up to locate his predator. As he stood up, his eyes darted from side to side, but his senses weren't working right. Gohan seemed to be everywhere at once, but Piccolo was smarter than that…

"Found you!" Piccolo spun and delivered a blow to the air behind him, knocking Gohan straight out of the air and through one of the walls of the crater. With a large shout, "HAAA!" Piccolo blasted the wall Gohan had just torn through, and the earth above the Tuffle caved in on him briefly. Piccolo took the time to fly out of the crater and land on the wet grass, breathing heavily as he tried to gasp for air.

"I'm getting too old for this," Piccolo growled as he wiped sweat and rainwater from his brow bridge.

His entire body was covered in soot, soil, ash, blood, mud, rain, and remnants of a tattered gi, but Piccolo still felt he had a good round left in him. As he waited for Gohan to emerge from the ground, he tried to calculate how tired Gohan must be feeling. Although he just recently raised his power level, there was no doubt that he was holding in signs of fatigue. Piccolo _did_ arrive late in the game, after Panhad givenGohan a hard time.

Piccolo opened his senses to find Pan, and noted she was hidden in the trees close by, no doubt prepared to jump in at any point. Piccolo growled at the thought of her interfering again. That was one thing about kids nowadays. They had no sense of timing when fighting, and even more than that, there seemed to be a lot of disregard for honor.

He was jolted from his thoughts as the ground suddenly shook, and he jumped aside as a column of energy _burst_ through the ground where he had just stood.

"What the!" Another column of light shot from the ground where he stood, and he flipped away in surprise, "That's impossible!"

Another column of energy burst through the ground, and then another, chasing him as he took to the air and flew as fast as he could from the light. But the columns burst from the ground before him as well, and then before he realized it, ten were bursting around him, throwing rock and soil into the air as the grass singed under the heat. The columns surrounded him and were closing in as Piccolo raised his power and snarled at the light beams. Suddenly, the entire ground below him burst into an explosion of light as Gohan tore through the earth and shot upward toward Piccolo in a screaming rage.

"You should have _run_ when you had the _chance!_" Gohan flew upward toward Piccolo and brought his arms before him, red light flashing dangerously, "Dodge _THIS _one! Ka-Me-Ha-Me–"

"SHIT!" Piccolo glanced to the columns of light that were still making their way from the light bomb Gohan had planted in the soil, and flew upward to avoid the blast.

"_HAAAA!_"

"_Ma-Sen-Ko-HAAA!_"

As Gohan released his red Kamehameha, a powerful energy beam exploded into it from the perpendicular angle, sending the waves in a vector that spun away from Piccolo and exploded in the air.

"You _bitch!_" Gohan spun to the source of the opposing wave and then flew toward Pan, seething from rage and madness, "I'll teach you to mess with _me!_"

"Get away from her!" Piccolo fired a warning shot past Gohan's face before phasing before him and nailing him in the face.

Gohan flew back and lost control of his ki momentarily as he plummeted toward the ground, but within a few seconds, he got in control again quick enough to dodge three punches and dexterously spin from a kick. He raged and snapped angrily toward Piccolo, "Just stop getting in my _WAY!_"

"I'll _BE_ in your way, you Tuffle trash!" Piccolo swung another punch to him, but Gohan caught it and delivered a hard kick to Piccolo's kneecaps, causing the Namek to howl in surprise and a sharp jolt of pain.

"Don't you _get_ it, _Namek?_" Gohan swung his fist and tilted his head to dodge one of Piccolo's swings as he snarled, "You are _not_ my mission!"

"We've already established this, _Tuffle!_"

"_Namek!_" Gohan snarled as his eyes flashed, "All you're doing is _postponing_ her _death!_"

"Long enough to _kill you!_" Piccolo threw an empty punch and dodged several of Gohan's blows.

Gohan began to laugh suddenly, a dark low cackle as he continued to throw swings at Piccolo. "Heheheheh…" He opened his mouth wide as his laughter tore through the rain, "HAHAHAHAH!"

"What's so funny, _Tuffle?_" Piccolo flew back and landed on the ground as Gohan flipped and landed twenty feet away.

"You don't want to kill me." Gohan lowered his head and smirked darkly as his eyes peered to Piccolo through his eyebrows. "I know you are holding back."

Piccolo snarled and raised his fist as he felt his sweat roll down the sides of his forehead, "Stop flattering yourself, you freak!"

"Because," Gohan continued, his smirk widening as the sparks around him grew brighter and the wind, or something like the wind, caused his hair to spike upward again, defying all gravity, "If you kill _me_…" He continued to smirk until it became a snarl, "you kill your _friend_, … _Piccolo_…"

Piccolo felt something clench inside him, something he vowed he wouldn't feel when he fought this monster. He kept his face hard as he tried to gasp more deeply, to catch his breath since he didn't have much resting time.

"Piccolo," Gohan repeated, his voice softer now as he took a step forward, his eyes still cold as his lips were curved into a sneer, "I don't have to kill you." He took another step, his right hand clenching and unclenching as if preparing for a sudden attack, "You could become one of _us_…"

"HA!" Piccolo got into his battle stance and spit, narrowing his eyes angrily, "I'd rather _die _than become a _slave_ to that parasite!"

"Piccolo," Gohan's eyes softened as he took another step forward, "You don't have to be alone anymore. You don't have to be an outcast." Gohan stopped and reached out his right hand expectantly, his palm up as if asking for Piccolo to take it, "Join us."

Piccolo blinked a moment as it registered in his mind what was going on. He frowned in slight confusion for a moment before his eyes turned cold and heartless again. "Heh," Piccolo smirked half-humoredly as he watched Gohan with a wary eye, "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"This is your _last chance_, _Piccolo_." Gohan's eyes turned to stone again as his smirk became a scowl, "Join us or _die!_"

Piccolo stepped forward, the rain battering his face as he snarled with cold eyes, "I'll see you in _Hell!_"

"Then _DIE!_"

Gohan's hair suddenly spiked to a brighter gold as he screamed and charged toward Piccolo with all his power. Piccolo stood his ground, tensing as he watched Gohan approach, preparing for Gohan to phase behind him, but the Tuffle kept his attack head on, and with a powerful left step into it, delivered a hard punch toward Piccolo's face.

Piccolo caught Gohan's wrist, and Gohan then swung his left fist forward, only to be grabbed by Piccolo too.

There was a split second pause as Gohan stood there, Piccolo holding both his wrists as Gohan smirked triumphantly to the Namek.

"Checkmate," Gohan sneered.

And with powerful arms, Gohan twisted his wrists and grabbed hold of Piccolo's wrists in the process. Within a split breath, he knocked the Namek's hands to the side and then jumped up and kicked Piccolo in the chest while his other foot _SMACKED_ across his jaw.

There was a loud _CRACK_ as Piccolo's neck fractured.

Piccolo flew back and landed on his back in the mud, wheezing with wide eyes, more from the surprise than the utter pain that coursed down his spine; but as his shock faded, he realized his body had reached its limit. He tried to lift himself, but that last move left him out of commission.

He looked up to see Gohan stand over him, a dark grin on his face.

Piccolo tried to breathe, but his body felt as if it were collapsing within. He closed his eyes and tried to focus his energy, but it was beyond his grasp, as he was in too much pain to focus his concentration. He wheezed as he tore at the grass around him with his swollen hands.

He opened his eyes and saw Gohan still smirking at him, the red bolts casting a pinkish glow to his hair. His eyes were still wild, but vacant. His smirk was emotionless as he looked down on the Namek.

"Good game," Gohan brought his right hand before him and nodded to Piccolo, "But you _lose_."

"_NO!_" Pan's voice came from the side as she must have seen Piccolo at the mercy of the enemy, "_PICCOLO!_"

Gohan brought his hand back and looked up to source of the voice.

"G…_Go_han…" Piccolo closed his eyes as he felt his voice failing him, "Don't… don't hurt her…"

Gohan looked down to Piccolo and smirked again, "I want you to _watch_."

"_Gohan!_"

Gohan turned and left Piccolo on the ground as he walked slowly toward the brush where he sensed Pan.

"Come _out_, little girl." Gohan sneered slightly as his eyes darted from tree to tree. "Come play with _daddy_."

"You're _NOT_ my Papa!"

"Wha?" Gohan turned to look above him too late. The fist smacked him back a few steps as Pan landed before him, tears streaming from her eyes.

Gohan suddenly stood straight and looked at her before glancing back to Piccolo. His shoulders began to shake as his body let forth a low cackle that began to rise, and it became louder and louder with each moment, until he closed his eyes and reared his head back in maniacal laughter.

"What's so _funny!_" Pan narrowed her eyes and made two balled fists.

"It's amazing," Gohan stopped laughing and dropped his smile completely, as he suddenly wore an angry scowl, "Your punch…"

"Oh _yeah?_" Pan sniffled back her tears and raised one fist in a bluff, "Feeling enough pain?"

"Actually," Gohan brought his arm up and wiped some mud off his face as he walked closer to her, "The contrary." He smirked darkly, "Being a second-level Super Tuffle…" he chuckled lightly, his eyes flashing red, "I barely felt that."

"What?" Pan stepped back, her eyes widening.

"You're _no match_ for me, _Saiyan._" Gohan took another step toward her, "Heheheh," he sneered lightly, "This is going to be _fun_."

Pan panted loudly and stepped back again as she watched Gohan approach her in the pounding rain. She felt her chest clench from both fear and hearbreak as she realized he was right. She was still beaten from before, and he was more powerful than her even as a first-level Super Saiyan, or Super Tuffle, or whatever the hell he thought he was. Trying to contain her panic, she focused her thoughts more on concern for her sensei.

Pan's eyes darted to Piccolo as she was backing up, and saw he was weakly getting to his feet. She felt a huge wave of release course through her as she knew he'd be okay, that he was still fighting for her…

Until she realized what he was doing.

Her eyes widened as she looked to a now couching Piccolo and then Gohan again, who was approaching slowly. Her eyes darted back and forth as she saw the light form on Piccolo's finger against his forehead, and her eyes then snapped back to Gohan, studying him, his face, in a quick moment of panic.

Earlier, he had purposely missed shooting her. She was at point blanc range with that warped 'Screw Beam of the Devil', but he _purposely_ missed her…

Her breaths quickened as she realized there was still good in him. He had been holding back this whole time. He had been able to kill her from the start, when she accidentally ran into him thinking he was Piccolo.

"No…" Pan shook her head as she felt she might explode from conflicting thoughts and emotions, "No…"

"That's right…" Gohan sneered as he approached, "There's no way to escape."

"No!" Pan brought her hands to her head as her eyes darted to Piccolo again and then back to the man who used to be her father, "NO!"

Gohan stopped several meters away from her and held out his right hand, "Just stand still and it won't hurt… _as much_…" Gohan snickered as a red ball formed in his hand, "Funny," Gohan tilted his head as dark humor danced in his eyes, "I never thought you'd actually _cooperate_."

"_NO!_" Pan screamed as she saw Piccolo bring his right hand forth and scream aloud,

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

It all happened in slow motion. Pan screamed and lept forward to stop Piccolo from firing just as Gohan's eyes went wide with realization and he spun out of the way. The beam of light made a slice through Gohan's left arm as he wasn't able to twist away in time, but as Pan was running forward, she went right into the line of fire.

It all happened at once. Piccolo released the beam, Gohan spun away, and the blast went right through Pan.

The dust cleared as the rain continued to pour down, the entire world in shades of black and white. Two doves flitted off in the distance as Pan sank to her knees, her lower right abdomen blown away from the blast.

"Uh… uhh…" Pan's eyes rolled up as she grew pale and collapsed onto her back.

"Ahhhh… _AHH?_" Piccolo's eyes went wide and he staged back a few weak steps as he realized what he'd done. "Ahhh!"

Gohan blinked and brought his right hand to his left arm's wound as it sank in what happened. "Oh!" Gohan smirked and then beamed from twisted humor as he rolled his head back and screamed out a hyena's laugh, "HAHAHAHAHAHA! I can't _BELIEVE_ it! HAHAHAHA!" He continued to scream with his head back, the rain hitting his face, "HAHAHAHA! You did the job _FOR_ me! _Hahahahaha!_"

"Wha… Wha…" Piccolo's eyes remained wide as he looked down at his bloodied hands, "Pan… _PAN!_"

"Heheheh," Gohan glanced at Piccolo a moment before walking several steps closer to Pan's form, "I _knew_ I could count on you, Piccolo," Gohan turned his head to face him, grinning darkly in the rain, "You're the _greatest!_ Heheheheh…"

"P-Pan… _PAN!_" Piccolo stumbled forward in a panicked daze and landed on his knees as he realized what he'd done, "Pan…"

Pan's form suddenly coughed weakly as she lay on the ground, moaning softly as her body began trembling.

"So here it is," Gohan walked up to her and probed her ribs with his foot, "The final moment of truth." Gohan took several steps back and grinned haughtily in the storm, the thunder crashing above him. When he next spoke, his voice was louder as he shouted against the storm, "A death worthy of you, Saiyan_ trash_."

"Pan…" Piccolo gasped and got to his feet, staggering forward, "Pan, get up…"

"I hope you don't mind me finishing it off with our family tradition," Gohan grinned as he put his hands to the side, "Pay my regards to Goku." He started, with a determined scowl, "Ka…me…" A great blinding red light began to form in his hands.

"No! _NO!_" Piccolo stumbled forward, tripping over himself as he panicked, trying to concentrate on his power level while ignoring the pain and his fear, "Pan, get _UP!_"

"Ha… me…" The light became extremely bright in Gohan's hands as he cackled in the limelight.

Piccolo summoned forth all the power he had left. Everything to his body as he desperately reached out his hands, "_Get up, Pan! NOW!_"

Pan moaned and tried to move, without avail.

"**_HAAAA!_**" With a blinding light, a huge column of energy poured out from Gohan's hands shooting straight for Pan.

"_NOOOOOOOO!_" Piccolo phased out with the last energy he had and reappeared before Pan, grabbing her and shielding her with his body.

Piccolo took the blast to his back, screaming in agony as the energy wave tore at his clothing, burning him alive as his flesh singed in the heat and power of the second-level blast, and there wasn't anything he could to shield himself. He was out of power as his body succumbed to the blood-red wave of destruction that pounded them deep into the ground and ripped his flesh under the searing heat.

The blast seemed to go on for aneternity. It never ended, but was a constant wave of torture, of pain, of the wasted anger the Tuffle parasite planted inside Gohan's mind. He was the bringer of death now. He was a heartless cold machine, and this was his kiss on the world, the poison that erupted from his hands as he tore away Piccolos' life one second after the other, for what seemed to be minutes, or even hours.

And then it ended.

There was a silence.

The only sound for a time was the rain as it pattered on the grass around them. Even the thunder had died down as the silence continued and the dust cleared.

The two charred figures on the ground remained unmoving as the Tuffle stood there, triumphant and proud, still basking in his success, his glory, and his win.

But then the two bodies moved. Beneath Piccolo, Pan struggled to lift him off her so she could breathe, but each breath she took was painful and shot a wave of nausea through her body as she bled from her lower abdomen. She wheezed slightly as she summoned enough energy forth to push Piccolo's body from her ever so slightly.

"P… Piccolo…" Pan rasped, her voice spent, her body exhausted as she tried to slide his heavy body off of her, "P… Piccolo?" She paused a moment to see if there was any response, and when there was none, her eyes widened and her heart raced as she gasped in a panic, "Piccolo! _PICCOLO?_"

Piccolo moaned faintly, "Ahhghh," and weakly rolled off of her, bleeding profusely everywhere on his body.

Pan sit up, gasping from the pain as she twisted her body and shook his arm, "_Piccolo!_ No, Piccolo, _no!_"

"Hehehehaha..." Gohan threw his head back and laughed manically, his body shaking from twisted delight, "HahahahahahHAHAHA!"

Pan ignored Gohan as she shook Piccolo gently, her eyes filling with tears, "Piccolo?" There was no response, as his breath came in ragged wheezes, trembling from pain, "Piccolo, no…" Pan shook him again, "Don't leave me. Wake up, Piccolo. Wake _up!_"

Gohan continued to laugh in the background, his voice echoing off cliffs so it sounded like it came from where at once – a maniacal laugh tainted with evil.

"P…an…" Piccolo moaned slightly.

"Piccolo, I'm here, Piccolo." Pan shook his arm, "Piccolo, I'm _here!_" She couldn't hold it any longer and felt her body shake with sobs, "Piccolo…"

"… K..Kill… that…. son of a bitch…"

Pan cried and laughed in grieving, "Heh…" She sniffled, "Piccolo…"

"HahahahaHAHAHA! Talk about killing two birds with one stone!" Gohan laughed, doubling over as he couldn't contain himself. He was wheezing, he laughing so hard, stomping the ground as he couldn't express how funny he thought it all was, "I gotta hand it to you, Piccolo! You're the _best! _Hahahahaha!"

"Pan…" Piccolo swallowed heavily as his glossy eyes turned to hers, "You need… to know…" He swallowed again and coughed up green blood.

"What, Piccolo? What?" Pan ran her hand down his shoulder as she tried to hold back a sob, "What… Ahh…" She cringed from her own pain and took a deep breath as tears once again welled in her eyes, "What do I need to know?"

Piccolo moaned and sighed weakly, "It's about Go…" He swallowed thickly and squeezed his eyes shut, "Go…khhh…"

A large blast went off by them, sending mud flying through the air and landing on their injured bodies.

"My _GOD!_" Gohan snarled, "Aren't you finished with your _goodbyes_ yet? It's not going to be long until you see each other _again,_ you know!" His eyes sparkled a moment as his body underwent another chuckle, "Heheheheh…" Gohan flexed his wrists, still cackling under his breath.

Pan bared her teeth and took a deep breath, "He's going to pay. I'm going to…" She squeezed her eyes shut, "I'm going to make him pay."

"…. That… a girl… I'm… p…roud…" Piccolo turned his head to look at her, his eyes soft as he gave her a genuine smile, "o… ahh… hhhhh…"

His head rolled to the side as his eyes closed.

"Piccolo…" Pan frowned and winced from her pain as she shook his arm, "Piccolo?"

There was another silence except for the rain and Gohan's cackling in the background. Piccolo's body was still.

"Piccolo?" Pan shook his arm again, "_PICCOLO!_"

Suddenly, his body grew cold to her touch, and before she realized it, he faded… and was gone. The only remnant left was his tattered gi and the blood that stained the soil.

Gohan crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "Well, _finally…_"

"PICCOLO!" Pan gasped in a panic and clawed the ground where he used to be, "PICCOLOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"And now that _THAT's _over…" Gohan snapped his fingers and smirked, "For the finishing touch. Take two." Gohan snickered as he brought his arms to his right side, "Ka-me-ha-me…"

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_"

"What the–! WHA?"

Gohan was suddenly blown back by a giant surge of energy that sparked from her in blue flames.

"_**PICCOLOOOOOOOOOOOO!**"_

Mountains, trees, grass,_everything_ was blown away into rubble and shards and splinters. Within a split second, all the rain clouds parted in a giant sweep of energy. The sun came pouring in as all steam, all rain, all mist evaporated in the explosion of power that radiated from Pan.

The sun blinded Gohan as he staggered back, his eyes bulging as his mouth dropped in disbelief, "What, _WHAT?_ This is… This is _IMPOSSIBLE!_" He felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he trembled in her wake, "How are you able to harness such _power!_"

Pan stood up and faced him, her stomach bleeding as her eyes were cold and vacant. Her long black hair was stiffer and her bangs naturally parted to defy gravity as she just stood there, purple lightning crackling around her as she looked demonic, her muscles expanding under her gi as it became tighter against her body.

"You're… _You're…_" Gohan staggered back again, shaking his head in incredulity, "You… _HOW?_"

"You're going to pay…" Pan lowered her head and growled menacingly, "You're going to _PAY_… for what you did to _PICCOLO!_"

Gohan took a deep breath as he collected himself, almost fully over his surprise. "Heh…" He stood straight and then got into a battle position as he sneered expectantly, "Now _this…_" he grinned darkly, "… is going to be a death _worthy_ of a _Saiyan_…"

–––––––

–––––––

–_5/20/05_–


	53. Worth a Million Lives

Note: It's at this point when the story pulls a HUGE Rated M section. I can guarantee that _the Rated M parts are only limited to Tuffle thoughts and actions_, and after the Baby Saga is completed, you won't ever have to endure some of the sick and twisted thoughts ever again. I just thought I should warn you that this chapter delves into Evil Gohan's thoughts, and they aren't very pretty. Don't say I didn't warn you.

CHAPTER 53:  
Worth a Million Lives

"Ahhh…"

He felt dizzy, slightly disoriented as the world came into focus before him. Everything just seemed so bright, and he felt so heavy here, as if the gravity were off. Piccolo squinted and then opened his eyes a moment before groaning and leaning his head into his heads. "Where am I?"

But as he raised his head and forced his eyes to focus, they suddenly went wide with surprise when he realized where he was. He knew this place, and that was a _bad_ thing.

"What the–!" Piccolo spun around in a circle to get a better view of Snake Way, having a hard time taking it all in. "Pan!" He grabbed his antennae as his memories started flooding back, and his heart raced as he realized she was left to fend for herself down there. "Great Kais, no!" He grabbed at his chest as his eyebrows twitched and he found it hard to breathe, "I have to get back there! I have to go back!"

A blue demon approached him wearing black-rimmed glasses and a casual purple business suit. The demon was looking down at some sheet of paper, holding a pencil in his hand as he said in a bored, monotone and high-pitched nasal voice, "Wyelcome tyo Otherworld. Your nyumber is 435," the demon yawned and then looked as if he were about to pass him, but Piccolo growled and grabbed him by the collar.

"What did you say!" Piccolo gruffly snarled, "Get me to the front of this line, _NOW!_"

The demon sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'm syorry, Number 435, but _everyone_ has to wait in lyine."

"You wanna _BET?_" Piccolo roared, his eyes flaring in anger as his ki rose enough to cause the demon's collar to sizzle in Piccolo's grasp.

"I–I..." The blue demon's eyes went wide in fright, "I'm jyust doin' my _jyob_, sir!"

"Augh, you're a waste of my time." Piccolo dropped the demon and began walking forward in rapid strides, passing small clouds by the dozens with every few steps.

"Sir! Sir!" The blue demon ran after him, holding a pencil in the air, "You cyan't cut in lyine, sir!"

"Get lost!" Piccolo ignored him and continued to walk forward with a determined scowl on his face.

"Sir! Sir!" The demon followed after him, and his calls ended up gaining the attention of several demons before Piccolo who perked up to notice the green Namek cutting the line. Soon, a whole group of demons was trying to ward him off, trying to block him as he pushed his way through, each shouting "Sir!" as if for some reason he were not able to hear them.

"Get _OFF_ of me!" Piccolo threw some demons ahead of him and snarled, "I'm going to the damn _Guardian _line!"

"Sir!" A blue demon wearing a white dress sporting 'YAMA' on her chest stepped forward with an anxious frown, "That line is under repair!"

"_REPAIR?_" Piccolo snapped, "Augh! You guys are a bunch of idiots! I need to see King Yemma, _NOW!_"

"What's going on here?" Another blue demon stepped out wearing a business suit, "What's all this commotion?"

"Please, Sir," the female frowned, "Let us get you a cappuccino while you wait!"

"Sir, you hyave to get back in _lyine!_"

The voices seemed to come from everywhere as more and more demons came out to restrain him, "Sir, you aren't allowed to cut in line."; "You have to wait for your number to be called!"; "The Guardian line is out of order!"; "Please have patience and get back in line!"; "Sir, you need to calm down!"; "Easy there, beautiful, we'll get to you soon!"

"Would you guys just _SHUT UP!_" Piccolo snarled as he flared his ki and readied a ki blast, "I don't have time for this! Get out of the way, _NOW!_"

"Sir!" Their voices got more frantic as their annoying little hands reached out for him, "Sir! Sir! Sir!"

Piccolo snapped and brought his hands before him shouting, "_HYAA–!_"

But in a split moment before he released it, something whizzed before him in a nanosecond, not even a fraction's worth of blinking time, and whisked him off of Snake Way. It was so fast, Piccolo didn't even register it in his mind when a new grassy world emerged before him.

"–_AAAHH!_" Piccolo finished his shout and a blue fire ball of energy shot forth from his hands, whistling through the air as the grass sizzled beneath it.

"_WOAH!_" A figure jumped out the way in time as the energy blast flew right by him and right through a hill, causing a hole in grassy mound.

There was a huge explosion from beyond the hill, _KABOOM!_ as fire shot out from everywhere and smoke rose in a large mushroom cloud.

Piccolo blinked a moment as his mind registered that he was in an entirely new place and stepped back a moment in surprise. His eyes unfocused for a second, but when a small piece of scrap metal landed on his shoulder, he blinked again and watched all kinds of nuts and bolts begin to rain from the sky.

"What the–?"

"Wow!" The boy jumped up in front of him and looked over the hill, "He _did_ it!"

Piccolo blinked again and shook his head, still very confused, "What, huh?" He frowned and peered at the boy, "_Goku?_"

"Oh _NO!_ Oh no, no, no!" Ancient Kai raised his hands and ran toward the hill, "My _lawnmower!_"

"Huh?" Piccolo spun around and widened his eyes, "_Kibito?_"

"Wow! Remarkable!" Kibito Kai stepped past Piccolo and went to go look over the hill, "What great aim!"

Piccolo stepped back a moment, shaking his head and tearing at his antennae, "What's going _ON?_ How the hell did I get back here" His anxiety had been temporarily forgotten by his shock, but looking around and remembering what was happening down on earth made him snap out of it and panic again.

"Oh," Goku turned to see Piccolo, "Well, Kibito Kai went to get you when we sensed your en–"

"–No _time!_" Piccolo frantically ran forward and desperately grabbed Goku by the gi, "You have to get back to _Earth!_ You have to _save_ her!"

"Calm down, Piccolo, _who?_" Goku frowned.

"_PAN!_" Piccolo began to shake Goku violently, "You have to help her! Gohan's going to _murder_ her!"

"WHAT?" Goku raised his eyebrows, "Since _when?_"

"Augh!" Piccolo dropped Goku like a lead weight, "Just get down there and help her!"

"No, no, no!" Ancient Kai ran toward them and stopped with his hands behind his back, "That won't do. Goku is still _training!_" The old Kai coughed and shook his head, "He still needs more _time_."

"Yeah, Piccolo," Goku frowned and tilted his head, "I'm sure Pan can handle herself just fine."

"You…" Piccolo panted and doubled over, leaning his hands on his knees, "You don't understand. She's critically injured, I…" Piccolo brought his hands over his face, "I killed her! I can't believe it… It's because of me… I _killed _her!"

"Calm down, Piccolo," Goku walked up with a slight smile and patted his back reassuringly, "If I know my granddaughter, it'll take more than an injury to kill her."

"Augh," Piccolo clenched his hands and grinded his teeth, feeling a sickness at the pit of his stomach. He looked away and stepped back as he brought up his fists and covered his eyes, "What have I done. What… What have I done…"

–––––––

The battle raged on as the Earth shook below them. The renewed sunlight shone upon a brown world covered in craters, black ash, debris, mud, blood, and dying fires as they flew at each other, teeth bared as they swung with powerful fists, missing as the other dodged and vanished behind them. Some crows cawed in the distance as Gohan stepped back and growled angrily at the girl before him.

He hated her. He hated her since she was born, since the first words she spoke, since the first steps she made. He loathed her. He tolerated her because he tolerated his wife. They never understood him, especially his shameful daughter. He needed to be rid of her. He needed to rid that taint in his life, the last connection to ever being a _Saiyan_, curse that word.

But even more than that, he needed to please Lord Baby. The very thought of his master coursed renewed power through his veins as he was swarmed with love and devotion. If he couldn't kill the Saiyan in honor of himself, he would do it to please his master, Lord Baby. He would prove himself to be the faithful servant he vowed to always be.

"You _bastard!_" the Saiyan dove at him, her black hair so stiff that even the mightiest wind couldn't budge it, "You're going to _pay!_"

Gohan tilted his head to dodge her blast and then elbowed her in the side, sending her several meters off as he rose to the air. He smirked at her bleeding form, knowing she was only wearing herself down with all her efforts to fight him. He enjoyed watching her bleed. The thought of being able to savor that blood made his skin crawl with temptation. He would make her bleed more, and then he would relish in her death. The thought of this caused his smile to grow even more until he felt himself cackle with anticipation.

"I'm going to make you _SUFFER_ for killing him!"

Gohan's eyes narrowed as he found her pathetic voice to be somewhat annoying.

"Oh _SHUT UP_," Gohan's smile dropped to a scowl, "The Namek is _old news._"

"Well, I've got _new NEWS_ for you, _Gohan,_" the Saiyan dove at him again with her fists, but as he parried, she spun and released a kick. He caught her leg and twisted it, hearing her scream in pain. As he released her, he flew back and threw a blast at her, which she deflected with tears in her eyes, "After I'm done with _you_, I'm going to be killing your pathetic little _Baby_."

"Heheheh," Gohan smirked dangerously, "You wouldn't get far."

The Saiyan suddenly brought her hands before her and screamed some attack name over the wind, but she was far too slow. Gohan saw it coming and with a loud, "_HAAA!_" he deflected it upward, phased out, reappeared before the blast and knocked it down toward her. The Saiyan looked up in time to see the blast coming and jumped out of the way, flying low to the ground as she made some distance.

"I'm _coming_ for you," Gohan sneered as he followed her through the sky, every once in a while throwing a series of blasts toward her as she flew below him by several hundred feet.

He was still getting over the shock at her rise in power. Before Piccolo died, she had been at zero power. She had barely been able to stand and fight, and it would have been almost too easy to kill her. Gohan narrowed his eyes as he watched the brat fly below him. He should have known that Piccolo had taught her to hide her true power like that. He wouldn't ever fall for her tricks again.

It was also at this point that he was still thanking all Tuffles that Piccolo had wounded the girl when he did. Otherwise, she'd be putting up a pretty tough time. However, he could see that she was slowing down. Even though she tried to hide it, she was no doubt in serious pain. And even if she weren't, that wound was eventually going to kill her. All he had to do was buy some time if he wanted her to die assuredly. But something in his mind nagged him to finish her off now, to end her pain so she wouldn't suffer any more. Either way, she would end up dead, so he really didn't give much care to his conflicting thoughts.

God, and Great Lord of Tuffles, Gohan hated her. She gave him nothing but grief, and all he could think about was tearing her head off her shoulders and ripping her limbs off one by one. It helped ease his frustration that the Namek was finally dead. God, the Namek was annoying. Hopefully, this time, the Namek would _stay_ dead.

His smirk returned to his face as he plummeted toward the Saiyan and began to fight her again. The more he thought about it, the more delighted he was about the fact that the Namek was gone. Now, he would be able to go to Lord Baby and tell him he killed off the last of the Z fighters as well. With Goku already dead, Piccolo marked the last of them. Well, except for Master Roshi, somewhat.

The thought of how Master Roshi had been able to elude their searches swiped the smirk off Gohan's face. However, it really didn't matter that Roshi had not become a Tuffle yet. Lord Baby would probably sentence him to a tortuous death for being the opposite of what a true Tuffle should act like, and as far as Gohan personally was concerned, Lord Baby could do whatever he wanted, and he didn't care about anything except his mission.

And his mission was giving him a hard time.

It had been giving him a hard time for a while. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered why he waited so long to hunt out the Saiyan and kill her. It wasn't like he forgot about his mission. It was more like… _Yes_, Gohan cackled slightly as he dodged a fist, _I wanted a challenge_. He wanted the last Saiyan to go down with a dramatic finish. He wanted to feel the rush of holding her up by the neck and squeezing, feeling her life drain before him.

His body shivered in sadistic pleasure as his hard-on throbbed against his thigh. Just the thought of her death turned him on beyond words.

As he caught one of her fists, he threw her over his head and spun around to backhand her across the face. She flew backward several meters and he followed suit, focusing more power into his inertia, but as they flew, she continued to fly back and he missed her as she would evade his punches.

He noticed the Saiyan continually glancing down, and as he flew back, he allowed himself a split second to take his eyes off the rat. What he saw down there made him grin as the lust for blood rose in him. He had another idea to hurt her, and it gave him a new surge of power to know he had the upper hand.

By this point, he was getting tired. He had endured a great deal, but no matter how powerful his state, he knew his body was going to wear down. It didn't matter, though, however tired he got. He was still saving his trump card. He grinned at the thought. He wanted to see her suffer. He was going to make her suffer, and then when she saw the move he was going to pull, he wanted to see terror in her eyes – the look of defeat when she'd realize there was no hope.

God, there nothing that got him off more than the thought that he'd be intimidating her. And one look at the town below made him realize he'd once again gain a valuable card to his hand.

He stopped in mid-air as he grinned at her, feeling a swarm of power to his being. It was always a good feeling knowing you were going to win, no matter what; and an even better feeling, knowing how Lord Baby was going to be so proud of him. He almost closed his eyes in pure bliss at the thought. He loved Lord Baby. He loved him because he was the perfect master. And he hated the Saiyan. He wanted to make her _suffer_.

Gohan smirked as he looked her in the eye, his damp blonde hair still stiff in the gentle breeze.

"I have to tell you of a great vision," he began.

The Saiyan spit as she balled her fists before her, "Save it for King Yemma."

"The Tuffles," he smirked darkly as he held up his right hand, "the most powerful race…"

"You're only powerful because you _possess_ people!"

"_Yes!_"Gohan cackled confidently and held out his arms, "We Tuffles will _spread!_ Take over the universe! We will all become uniform – _one_ being." Gohan grinned darkly to her as he felt a triumphant chuckle rise in his chest, "And there will be _no_ Saiyans. The universe," he spread his hands to indicate how large, "will be in perfect _balance_."

The Saiyan narrowed her eyes as purple lightning crackled around her, "You're sick."

"Your death contributes to this _balance_, _Saiyan_." Gohan felt like he could spit on the word, "Your death is a _gift_ to our lives!"

"_What_ lives?" the Saiyan growled, "You don't _have_ a life of your own! You are a _slave_ to Baby's orders." She winced slightly and brought her right hand to cover the bleeding injury in her lower abdomen, "And the only way you can get your _life_ back is if you _die_, _Gohan!_" She brought her bloodied hands before her and shrieked, "So _DIE!_"

The purple lightning gathered around her and concentrated on her hands, creating a large violet ball of energy that continued to collect power, getting larger and larger. As Gohan watched it grow, his smirk deepened. And as the ball grew to the size of a gigantic boulder, he flew back and spit on his hands, rubbing them together as he prepared to play with her ball of destruction.

"Yes!" He laughed maniacally, glancing at the ground below again, "Give it _all_ your energy! Hit me with _everything_ you've got!"

The Saiyan's hair began to move to an invisible breeze as her ki went from yellow to a bright red. Her eyes reflected the fiery aura around her as she scowled and lowered her head menacingly. "You killed Piccolo… You killed my father…" Her nose crinkled as she sneered in hatred, "This is the _end_ of the road for you, _Gohan._ This ends _now!_"

And with a great burst of power, the Saiyan screamed out "_HAAAAAA!_" and released her attack upon Gohan.

Gohan held his arms above him, readying for the blast with his hands clenched together, his hair wild as the air before the blast whipped by his face. He powered up as high as he could as he shouted above the blast, and with powerful arms, he focused all his ki into his palms.

And with a loud, "_HYAAAA!_" Gohan knuckle-hammered the wave to the small country town below.

The blast hit the town with a tremendous impact that sent a shock wave across all the land. It was a magnificent sight; one of the most beautiful sights Gohan had ever seen. He could practically hear everyone's screams before they had been incinerated, and it made his blood heated as he cackled with a distorted lust for pain and suffering.

"Ahhh!" The Saiyan screamed as she watched the remains of the town burn to ash. Smoke was rising from the destruction in thickets as any last survivors were struggling to escape. "You… You _monster!_"

Gohan found her last statement especially humorous, and burst into laughter at the thought. This was all too funny. It was all just one big game to him, and she had no idea. She had _no_ idea, he was just toying with her. He narrowed his eyes as he cackled through a smirk. He wanted to see her crash and burn. He wanted to hear her scream.

"You…" Gohan grinned darkly, his hands clenching before him, "Have _no_ idea…" his eyes flashed, "how much of a _monster_ I can be."

The pathetic Saiyan girl seemed to choke on something as she clutched her chest, and then brought her hands to her face to wipe away forming tears. "But…" She shook her head and then stopped to bare her fangs at him, her eyes glaring through pure anger and hate, "But those were _Tuffles!_ Those were your _own people!_"

"Heheheh…" Gohan smirked haughtily as he lowered his head to glare at her. "Your _death_…" He slowly brought his hands in front of him, "is worth _more_…" he went slowly, so his sank in deep, "than a _MILLION…_ Tuffle lives."

The Saiyan brat flew back, choking again as her face trembled, "Y-You're _sick!_ You're _insane!_"

Gohan's head rolled back as he cackled gleefully. She had no idea what was coming to her.

"You're going to _PAY!_" The Saiyan seethed as she powered up even more, her hair being lifted by some unseen force as tears streamed down her cheek, "I'm going to make you _pay_ for what you've done to everyone!"

Gohan smirked and rubbed his shirt pocket making sure his precious item was still there. "Heheheh," he grinned. She really had no idea, no idea at _all_…

–––––––

"No!" Piccolo clawed the grass as he watched Gohan's actions through the Mystic ball. "No, it can't be!" He felt his breath catch as he realized what that was.

"Yes, I'm afraid it's true," Ancient Kai bent over with his hands behind his back, his eyes glued to the ball with a concerned frown. "Gohan…is carrying a sensu bean."

––––––––

––––––––

–5/22/05–

Note: As a quick note to a lot of my reviewers who want me to "bring Trunks back," you really need to have patience. I intend to write a sequence in Chapter 55 that deals with Trunks, and several chapters after that, Trunks will be re-enter, and be reverted back to his old self shortly afterward. I have one more chapter of my Evil Gohan sub-saga and then I'll be moving on with the story. Don't worry, folks -grin- I haven't forgotten about Trunks -grin-

Note 2: BlueMiracle51, I need your email address. I've tried to send you various emails in response to your reviews, but your email address is wrong on your ffnet bio.

Note 3: Also, Aaliyah - Trunks and Pan are never going to face off. I don't know where you got some impression they'd be doing that. And this goes for everyone: Trunks is currently on the Planet Tuffle. There's no way he'd be able to interfere with Gohan vs. Pan at the moment. Granted, he may (hint hint) interfere in the future, but at the moment, it's impossible for him to get back to Earth in time to save her. In fact, he's probably sleeping right now, or at least trying to.

Note 4: And Zhealy, you inspired me to plan out a Goten vs. Trunks scene -grin- See? Review suggestions never hurt anyone... except Tuffles of course -grin-


	54. Checkmate

CHAPTER 54:  
Checkmate

It was all she could do to keep from screaming in agony. Her entire body ached, swollen from both bruises and the bulging muscles that stretched her skin. She looked at him, and was terrified. The look in his eyes pierced hers with an utter hatred she had never seen before. And yet he continued to laugh at her, as if she were putting on a show for him, no matter how hard she was trying to hurt him. Her body was failing her, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

She continuously brought her right hand down to tenderly probe her wound, and it sent waves of pain shooting down her entire nervous system. All the dust, debris and mud wasn't helping it at all. If she didn't die from either blood loss or battle wounds, she would most certainly get a terrible infection – that is, if Gohan let her live.

As she continued to fight, she was losing confidence in herself. She kept seeing visions of her last friend and mentor, Piccolo, falling to the hands of this monster. Piccolo was the last of the Z fighters, the last hope of saving her family, and now she was going to die and nobody would be left to fight Baby.

She swung blindly at Gohan, but he easily blocked and countered a heavy set of blows to her chest as she screamed in surprise and pain. She whipped herself around and attempted a round-house kick to his neck, but he grabbed her leg and spun her down instead. No matter what she was doing, he was quicker than her, and he continued to become quicker as the minutes passed. It meant one of two things, that he was becoming faster than her: either he had gained an ability to speed up… or, she was slowing down.

Pan probed her wound again and caught a glimpse of her bloodied hands. There was a lot of blood there, and she was feeling slightly light-headed, her ears ringing a bit as she dodged several punches and threw an energy wave at the Tuffle impostor. Everything seemed to be passing in slow motion at this point. Even the light from the sun seemed to be a darker shade as Gohan hovered above her with that high cackle and bloodied fists.

But Pan refused to let him know how she was feeling. She kept a determined face as she charged at him and bluffed her strength, hoping to God, to all Kais Almighty, that he'd just die. More than all her agony combined, it pained her the most to have to see him this way. He didn't even realize what he did. He killed his best friend and mentor, and he was still sniggering about it, at a total loss for conscience. This Tuffle was not just insane… he had no limits. He felt so detached from the things and people he killed, that he was dangerous even to his own allies.

She couldn't believe that her father murdered an entire town before her eyes. It was still burning below them, but not nearly as wild as the last fire, most probably because the world was still wet from earlier. Earlier… before Piccolo died…

A sudden new wave of sadness gave way to a surge of rising anger. She promised herself that Gohan would pay for what he'd done, and that thought helped her forget her pain for a moment as her ki flashed a bright yellow.

Gohan phased out and appeared before her, but as he brought his right fist back, she phased behind him and threw her right fist to punch him in the back. Unfortunately, she was too slow as he spun around and grabbed her wrist. He twisted her around in one foul motion and then kneed her in the back, sending her flying a certain ways. Before she caught herself, he phased in front of her again and with both fists, pounded her in the stomach, sending her crashing to the town's rubble on the ground.

Pan stopped herself before a burning building, coughing from the smoke, and then looked up glaringly. She then thrust her hands before her and screamed out "HAAAA!" as a blue energy beam was sent flying toward Gohan. As he dodged it, she flew upward again, but he phased out and then reappeared before her, side-kicking her, but she twisted out of the way, and with a "HYAA!" Pan countered with a kick to his midriff, sending him flying into a nearby mountain.

The giant structural rock exploded upon his impact and boulders were sent flying in all directions as mud and debris scattered everywhere in the air. Pan took this time to bring her right index finger to her head and focus her newfound energy.

"Heheheh…" Gohan sniggered as he emerged from the rubble, "Not too bad for a–"

"_Makenkosappo!_"

And with that, a giant blue energy beam spiraled toward him at almost the speed of light.

"_WHOA!_" For the second time that day, Gohan acted on instinct and twisted his body as the beam singed his entire shirt, causing a perfect slice through the middle of the muddy white material.

The remains of the mountain exploded around him as he dumbly stared at the remains of his clothing and then looked up to Pan through the falling debris as small boulders incinerated upon impact with his ki.

Gohan then let his eyes glance to the rubble around him and then went back down to his shirt, which was now collecting fresh blood from the flesh wound she scarred across his abdomen.

Gohan looked back up to her and sneered to himself, muttering under his breath, "That was too close." He threw up his hands as a shift of wind left him with a snarl, "NOT SO FAST!"

Gohan was on her before she had the chance to phase before him. He grabbed her right shoulder before she could move and with a powerful leg, he kicked her in the stomach and punched her hard in the jaw, issuing a loud _CRACK!_

Pan reeled back in pain and surprise, holding her fractured jaw with a ragged gasp, "Ahhh"

Gohan cackled as he hovered closer to her, "Hehehahahahaha!" He sneered in a cruel tease, "I just _love_ the sound of cracking bones," he shuddered heatedly, "That's such a _turn-on!_"

Before he had a chance to react, there was another loud _CRACK!_ as Pan swung her fist into his jaw and send him flying back wards.

"AHHHH" Gohan clasped his jaw with wide eyes as he saw that Pan had nailed him when he guard was down. "You _BITCH!"_

"Jaw for a jaw… _Dad_," Pan sneered.

"Heheheh…" Gohan's cold eyes glinted a moment as he spit out a tooth and regained his battle composure, "That was a lucky shot."

"Either that, or you're _slowing down_," Pan sneered, "_old man_."

"Slowing down, eh?" Gohan stopped then as he fingered the swelling bruise across his cracked jaw. He looked as if he were still surprised at the power behind her punch. Even Pan, herself, didn't realize that she was capable of doing such damage with her fists.

_Those punching exercises really paid off, Piccolo…_ Pan continued to bluff false confidence before Gohan, _I'm sorry… I don't know if I'll be able to take him down. I'm…_

Pan felt another swarm of pain overcome her as she almost doubled over in mid-air. She grabbed at the wound in her lower abdomen and fought a wave of nausea as she felt a case of heartburn threaten to rise in her throat. She was barely able to focus on her own body, less likely Gohan's, and at this rate, there was no telling how long it would be until the battle would be over.

_I'm so sorry, Piccolo… _She fought tears at the corners of her eyes as she watched Gohan take something out from his pocket, _I'm so sorry_…

"You're right," Gohan peered at some small object in between his finger and thumb, "I _have_ been slowing down." He then tossed it up and caught it in his hand, securing it protectively in his fist as he looked up and glared triumphantly at her, "And at _this_ rate, this might last another few _hours_, considering how _tired_ I am after fighting both _you_, twice," his eyes gleamed unexpectedly, "and, of course, the weakling _Namek_."

"Heh," Pan held up a fist and relaxed into a light fighting stance in mid-air, "Getting too old for this?" She tilted her head with a cocky grin.

"No," Gohan held his fist forward with a mocking smirk, "More like, _bored_ of your pathetic excuse for a power level."

"Heh," Pan slightly snickered again with false confidence, "Think you can boost it up any other notch?"

"Actually," Gohan's eyes glinted again as he released a triumphant smirk, "_Yes_. I _can_," and then held up his hand, opening his fingers enough for her to catch a glimpse of a small bean.

Pan's eyes went wide as she realized what it was. "N-no!"

They both hovered there a moment as Pan let the fully reality of the situation sink into her mind. He had the one item that guaranteed his victory and well-being as she suffered before him, bleeding to death as she fought against a rising sickness in her stomach.

"How about…" Gohan's fist closed again as he brought it casually down and sneered, "Let's play a little… _game_."

"A…" Pan suddenly felt faint, "A _what?_"

"Let call it…" His mouth twisted into a demonic sneer, "Hit… and _Run_."

"Hit anf _what?_" Pan couldn't take her eyes off his fist as she saw it rise slowly to his face. She couldn't let him take that. If he took it, it was all over. She couldn't hold it in as she screamed out a desperate "No!" and flung her arms before her, shrieking as hundreds of tiny red energy blasts emerged from her hands, spiraling toward the Tuffle.

"Bad move!" Gohan phased out of her attack and appeared behind her, knocking her forward with just his ki. Pan spun around to throw another round of shots at him, but it was too late. Right before her, barely even two meters away, Gohan tossed the bean into his mouth… and swallowed.

A second or two went by where the two of them hovered before each other, the gentle wind cooling their sweaty temples.

But then suddenly, Gohan's ki shot up to a level Pan had never even fathomed before. His ki alone suddenly multiplied by at least _forty times_ what it had just been previously.

"YES!" Gohan reached out his arms and felt his renewed power surge within him, "Finally, an end worth meeting!"

"G… Gohan…" Pan reeled back as she clutched at her wound again, trembling from a renewed fear, from panic, from a realization that she lost this round. And then she felt her fear suddenly turn to anger toward the sensu bean. It wasn't fair. Not… after all that work she put into the fight… Not after all the sacrifices she made. Not after Piccolo died trying to save her! Not after the town was destroyed before her eyes! It just wasn't _fair!_

"It's not _FAAAAAIR!_" Pan screamed aloud as she openly cried, tears streaming from her eyes as Gohan's second-level ki burned into her battered form. "IT'S NOT _FAAAAIR!_"

"HeheheheHAHAHAHA!" Gohan threw his head back as sparks re-emerged around his body, swelling with energy and heat. And after a moment, he brought his head back with madness in his eyes as he laughed gleefully and brought one powerful hand before him.

"Check." Gohan suddenly released a powerful red beam that shattered the rubble around them for miles on end as the energy wave crashed into Pan, sending her back, searing under the heat of the blast until her body was charred and scalded. She screamed in agony as her skin sizzled and the ends of her hair were singed in the energy's fire.

As she flew back, she was met with a powerful blow to the back of the head that sent her crashing to a rock field below. Her body smashed against the hard stone and cracked the area in several places, causing a large gorge to separate around her.

As Pan weakly tried to stand up, Gohan was on top of her again, and kneed her in the jaw, sending her flying upward, as he followed her, he phased before her and with a "HYAA!" he punched his left hand right through the wound in her abdomen.

Pan screamed in agony, suffering as Gohan kept his arm there in the freshly opened wound, cackling in hysterics as she cried aloud and clawed as his shoulder, her eyes streaming tears as her voice cracked under the strain.

"Check." Gohan brought his right hand around her neck and pulled her hair, yanking her head back as he wiggled his left arm playfully inside her. "Come on, _daughter,_" Gohan sneered to her face, then brought his head to her neck to breathe in the scent of her fear, "It's your move."

Pan closed her eyes as he rose his ki, his arm burning her from the inside out. Her voice was gone by this point, and the more she tried to scream, the more silence came from her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Fresh blood was streaming from her now as she felt her body give way under him.

As Gohan withdrew his arm, Pan felt her body slump and lose all composure. She could barely breathe, she was suffering so much. Every part of her body hurt, every bone screamed it was broken, her skin was charred and boiled as her muddy hair dripped onto her torn gi. She was barely able to keep her eyes open as she tried to look in his eyes… a last search to see the man she loved once in her life, but his teal eyes were cold as lightning and static flickered before them.

And she welcomed death. It would be a release from this… from the reign of Baby. She would have rather died than lived as a slave to the parasite that took Trunks so long ago and then went on to take the rest of her family and friends… including Piccolo… including her Grandpa…

She dimly noticed herself being lifted by the neck as Gohan lowered himself to stand on the ground. She became aware that she couldn't breathe, and her lungs were burning for air as she made gurgling sounds, choking under his grasp.

"All it takes is a little… _squeeze_…" Gohan snickered as he held her up, "And then," he smirked darkly, "game over."

Pan opened her mouth as her eyes went wide, her face flushing red from the lack of oxygen. She brought her hands up and desperately tried to pry his fingers free, but the more she struggled, the harder he squeezed. His eyes were ice as they pierced hers. A rising cackle made its way to his voice as he threw his head back.

"It's all so _easy!_" Gohan laughed, "It's so easy, you spoil my fun!" Gohan brought his face back down to smirk at her, "But watching your face as you _die_… _This,_" Gohan grinned haughtily, "right here… _this _is a moment to make _history._"

Pan could feel her mind getting cloudy as she choked against his wrist. She wanted to lift herself, to fly, to loosen the noose that wrapped itself around her, but his hold was firm and his power level too high. She felt several tears fall from the corners of her eyes as she looked at him through blurred vision and thought of those she loved…

_Grandpa…_ Pan closed her eyes and shivered as she began to lose feeling in her legs, _I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry… Piccolo…_

"Checkmate," Gohan smirked as he held her high, beaming his triumph at her, feeling the glorious wind sweep by his face. "Goodbye… _Saiyan._"

He knew he won the battle, and the war was over. He succeeded in his mission, and his eyes turned glossy with love for his master. But there was another reason too… He was crying… from the joy of watching her die.

As Pan felt her life slip, her eyebrows trembled and her eyes fluttered slightly. With the last of her strength, she lightly frowned, her eyes watery, and gently brought her right hand to almost touch his face. As a tear rolled down her cheek, she felt an immense love for him. No matter what happened… Gohan would still always be her…

"Papa…" Pan's voice was a coarse whisper as her eyes fluttered a moment. She tried so hard to touch him, but her body gave way and her eyes rolled back as she felt her throat seem to collapse in on itself.

Gohan's eyes went wide, then, as another tear fell from his cheek. His hand faltered as he intook a sharp gasp of air, his eyes focusing on his hand, on her throat, and realizing, for the first time, that he was killing her.

His hand opened slightly as he choked on his breath. His body trembled as he realized what he'd almost done. "_Pan_…"

But as he released her, a great force suddenly rammed into his side with a loud _SMACK!_ that sent him rolling backward and into a boulder, where he cracked it in eight places.

Gohan stood up, his anger flowing as his eyes flashed red and a lust for blood swarmed him. He snarled as the wind blew his hair, and his eyes focused on a newcomer.

Gohan blinked then, and his eyes darted, as he was unsure if this boy was the weapon behind that kick. Gohan frowned as he took a step toward the kid, and then his lips rose to a slight sneer, "Who the hell are _YOU?_"

The dark boy narrowed his eyes and hissed in a high voice, "Your worst nightmare."

"Oh ma God! Oh ma God!" Another voice came from the rocks, "Ah found her! Ah found her, Buu, Oh ma God!"

"What _is _this?" Gohan quickly turned his head to face the newcomer, and then said in a slight roar, "You bought your weakling _posse?_"

"I don't know them," the dark youth sneered, "But I know you were about to kill this girl. And I can't let you do that."

Majin Buu suddenly wandered into the clearing, hopping about as if playing hop-scotch. "Buu see Pan!" Buu suddenly squealed in delight and bounced toward her like a child, "Yippee! Buu find Pan!"

"Shit." Gohan fell into a fighter's pose as eyes narrowed. He tried to quickly calculate power levels, but was hard to tell what the random dark boy's level was, since he was suppressing it. However, he knew off the bat that a fight with Majin Buu would probably be his last unless he either received backup or an other sensu bean. "Shit," he repeated under his breath as his eyes darted back to the boy.

"Well, are you gonna _fight?_" The boy threw up his fists and narrowed his eyes.

Gohan took another look at his surroundings and felt sweat form on his head. Super Tuffle 2 would not match out against Majin Buu. It would be best if he did get backup. "Shit," he repeated a third time as he thought of Baby's disappointment.

Gohan mentally kicked himself for not killing the Saiyan when he had the chance. He was so _close_. _Great Lord of Tuffles, what came over me?_ Gohan snarled to the boy as he stood up straight and gave a slight nod, "I'll be back."

And with that, Gohan cursed under his breath and took to the skies, leaving the boy stunned and trembling on the ground.

Gohan spit in anger as he flew through the clouds, one thought on his mind as he cracked his knuckles from frustration.

_Goddamnit, Baby is NOT going to like this._

–––––––

Uub watched the Tuffle fly off with sweat beads on his forehead. "Wow," he blinked to himself, "That was really close."

"Buu!" The elder man ran up to the poor girl and cradled her in his arms, "Buu! Buu, ya gotta help her! She's the only granddaughter Ah got!" The man began to cry into her shoulders as she lay limp in his arms, "Look what's he's done to her! Just look, Buu! Ah, Buu!" The man's coarse deep voice became cracked with his tears.

Uub frowned as he approached the two, "Sir?"

The older man looked up, sniffling, "Aaahh? Who?" The man stood up, and as he stood, Uub got a better look at him, and his eyes went wide as he recognized him.

"You're – You're the World Champ!" Uub's eyes boggled as he took a step back.

"You…" the man blinked, "You're not a _Tuffle_? You reco'nize me?"

"Oh, _WOW!_" Uub ran forward, beaming, "You're the World _Champ!_"

Hercule stood up proudly and lifted his chin, "Yes Ah am! Ah'm the World Champ and Ah could'a _beat_ that Tuffle into the ground!" Hercule threw his right fist forward, "And Ah would'a taught him a lesson or two! Like Ah'd give him the ol' _Hercule Spin!_" He waved his arm around like a screwdriver, "and the _Hercule Hustle!_" He side-stepped straight into Buu as he paradaded about, "Oh Ah could give 'em the old–!"

"–Mr. Satan, out of way!" Buu pushed him to the side as he made his way to Pan, "Pan hurt. Buu fix!"

"And just watch, Ah,d have given him the _Hercule Drive!_ Now _that_ one is a _classic!_" Hercule stood with his chin high and his arms propped to his hips, looking high and mighty with his cape.

Uub was dazzled before him and would have been completely entranced into cheering for him if it weren't for the large pink alien by the name of Buu who leaned over the battered girl and put his/its hand to her forehead.

A light began to surround the girl and then flow into her as her gashes and bruises began to heal themselves quickly. The healing process must have taken a good five minutes before the one known as Buu stood and smiled happily, "Pan all healed, now! Buu want chocolate!"

"Wow," Uub stared with awed eyes, "That was _incredible!_" He shook his head in a daze, "I've never seen anything _like _that!" He turned to look at Buu, "Is she really better?"

"No," Buu suddenly frowned as his mouth twitched from the distorted shape. "Pan lost a lot of blood." Buu looked down and shrugged his shoulders, "Buu no think Pan will make it…" And then he raised his head with a newly restored grin, "But Pan's _body_ all healed! Body in _perfect _shape!"

Hercule was still processing his words as his mouth dropped three feet. "Whaddaya _mean_ she's not gonna make it"

"Pan in a deeeep sleep," Buu looked down to Pan, "Pan may never wake up." He shrugged again as he brought his hand to his chin, "Buu sorry."

"Oh _GOD! PAN!_" Uub watched helplessly as Hercule dove for her again and cradled her against his chest, her hair limp and damp with her blood, "Pan, please… Please wake up, Pan." He gently shook her and ran his left hand down her cheek with a loud sob, "_Please_ wake up…!"

––––––––

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–5/27/05–


	55. Waking Up

Note: The opening to this might confuse some people. Please realize it's a sort of dream sequence.Enjoy X)

CHAPTER 55:  
Waking Up

The world changed again. It shifted under his feet as the light skewed and twisted into a new array of colors. The ground melted and reformed as he stepped back, panting, grasping his hair in confusion. It was happening again. It was always happening.

"Trunks."

He spun around and backed up several steps as he darted his eyes back and forth in the light. Each step left a slight echo in the shifting world around him, as if he were in some chamber, but as far as he could see, there was no end to the abyss. But then, suddenly, there was an end. Trunks took another step backward in wonder as he suddenly found himself in a room, with a young boy across from him, frowning.

"Trunks," the boy repeated, looking stern as he stood fast. The light settled on a few wisps of his dark hair. He was wearing a dark shirt, and the chair behind him was dark, and then before Trunks knew it, the entire room was cast in shades of black and white that began to slowly pulse with light.

Trunks continued to look at the boy, his left hand growing numb as he clenched it so hard, and he released his fingers with a shaking voice. He remembered this person; it seemed easy enough to say his name, "Goku…"

"Trunks," the boy stood there a moment and then took a step forward as his body began to fade. "Promise me, if I go away, that you'll take care of her…" His body was transparent now, the light bending within his body as it then began to solidify into a mirror. Trunks could then see his reflection as the mirror approached him, but his face was blurry. He couldn't make out his features, and he felt his voice rise in a slight panic as he wondered, for a moment, who he was.

"Who?" Trunks brought his right hand up to touch the mirror, but it faded before he was able to feel it, leaving him alone in the black and white room.

The boy's voice rose from around him, and seemed to emanate from the air itself, "Make sure she's okay. Stop by… every once in a while to visit, you know?"

Trunks stepped back as his eyes widened and repeated in a rising hysteric, "_Who?_"

A dark voice growled, "The enemy."

The world shifted again as Trunks lost his footing and fell backwards, suddenly flying downward as a silent wind whipped by his hair. The only thing he was able to hear were his rapid breaths as he continued to fall, confused, afraid, alone, toward the ground as an outside world suddenly came into focus.

A strong hand suddenly caught him and he found himself held against someone's chest as they rose back into the air. A bright blue sky was above him as Trunks cried in confusion and fear.

"My baby!" He was then placed into another set of arms and looked up to see his mother. He held his breath as he realized she was so much larger than him. He seemed so small as her arms cradled him. She looked down to him and sadly smiled, "Trunks…"

"I don't understand," Trunks blinked and shook his head as his arms reached out for her as his head turned to face the one that saved him from the fall. He realized he was looking at himself for a moment, as his blood turned cold.

The world exploded, then. It shattered into a thousand pieces as his reflection suddenly aged before him. The years flew by as a sun began to rise and set, faster and faster along a black horizon as his reflection turned into a mirror and portrayed himself growing up – growing older, but somehow it started from when he was a baby, and he grew within this mirror, shooting taller, and stopped when he was about eight or nine.

He knew this place.

The world shifted again and came into focus as he looked up to both the sun and his father. He knew this place, because it was often in this recurring dream. He felt an arm around him and was scared, because he knew what was going to happen. "No!" Trunks' eyes went wide with realization, "Dad… don't!"

"I'm proud of you, son." Vegeta smirked warmly as he looked down to his son.

"No, dad, don't… don't go!" Trunks reached up to touch him, but was smacked in the back of the neck, and then… suddenly, he was falling forward, through the phantom in his mind as an explosion erupted behind him.

As the wind passed again, a mirror suddenly reappeared before him and showed him falling, growing older within seconds, his reflection reaching out to him with a desperate face as the wind repelled both of him through the air.

Trunks suddenly landed hard on the ground, with a _BOOM!_ that cracked the tiles around him. He lay there, throbbing, for a moment as he took in the new surroundings. He weighed so much, it was hard for him to think straight.

"Get _up_." A set of feet appeared by him, swirling in the light as the world threatened become another shade of black and white. "You'll _never_ be as good as him."

Trunks lifted himself up with shaking arms, sweating profusely and dropping from both his hair and his training gi. "What… what…?" Trunks grunted as he stood up and faced his father, "What's going on?"

"My _son_." Vegeta approached him with a wild look, "You'll _never_ be the Tuffle he was meant to be."

"The _what?_" Trunks stepped back in confusion, "What's _that?_"

Vegeta landed a blow to Trunks' ribcage, knocking the wind from him as Trunks flew back against a wall. The tile cracked as his body landed hard, and then he stood there, leaning a moment as he tried to gain his breaths back, "I…" Trunks looked down in shame, "I don't understand… I…"

A memory triggered inside him. Trunks blinked as his mind unlocked a door that had been closed for so long. "I…" Trunks looked up with betrayed eyes, "I know you."

"Stop fighting me." Vegeta scowled as he took a step forward, "I'm sick and tired of you resisting me."

"I…" Trunks backed up through the wall, his chest clenched as his legs threatened to fail him, "You… you're…"

A hand suddenly came from nowhere and smacked him across the face. He was knocked back somewhat, and landed in a bed, the world shifting again around him. "What!" Trunks shook his head as he found himself pinning someone, "What are you…" His eyes widened as he realized who it was, "_Pan…_"

"Your fight is with me now."

Trunks turned his head and saw Piccolo in the window. It gave a double-take, but instead of widening his eyes in shock, he felt his body rise casually when he saw that Pan was suddenly behind Piccolo.

"_Promise me_," the boy's voice resonated throughout the room as the world slowed and then stilled around them like a living photograph, "_that you'll take care of her_."

"I can't…" Trunks brought his hands to his hair as he numbly stared at Pan, "I can't even take care of myself!"

As Piccolo and Pan stood still before him, another scene opened up in his mind as voices called from everywhere, "_Fight it, Trunks!_" He dropped to his knees as his body trembled. "_He's doing it!"_

"I don't understand!" Trunks grabbed at the carpet desperately, "Help me… Oh god, help me…"

"_No one_ can help you." Pan's voice was cold as her eyes flashed red. Suddenly, the world shifted so it wasn't even a room anymore. He found himself watching Pan approach him in a dark abyss, black as midnight. Slowly, billions of tiny white lights began to twinkle into focus as he stood there, in the middle of vast space.

"Pan…" Trunks reached out as he tried to walk toward her, but he found his legs were pinned to a nearby star. He could do nothing but watch helplessly as her body faded, her smirk widening as she released a high cackle and stepped toward a new window.

"Pan… Pan don't go!" Trunks grabbed at his leg and tried to lift it from the white star, desperate to catch her as she flew off with Piccolo. "Goddamnit!" He panted as he looked up and in great anguish, watched her face vanish, "Come back!"

The star he was standing on suddenly turned darker, and before he was able to budge, it became a black hole and began to suck him in deeper. His throat clenched as he realized he was losing this battle, and in rising panic, he reached up, trying to grab anything as his voice erupted in a high scream.

"Oh, shush!" a boy laughed.

Trunks blinked as he found himself in a new world now. Trunks was reaching up toward the sun as he was vertically being buried by the ocean.

"How are we supposed to play 'quicksand' if you keep trying to climb _out_ of it?" The boy frowned as he pushed another bucket on top of Trunks, "I thought you said that we're supposed to go _down_ in quicksand."

"No, you dummy!" Trunks turned his head to Goten and rolled his eyes, "You're supposed to go down, and then _escape_ the quicksand! You can't just keep going _down. _You'll _die_."

Trunks couldn't believe his voice. It was so young, and he suddenly couldn't control his body. It was as if he were watching a movie, forced into a prison behind his eyes.

"You know, you're right!" Goten laughed as his body grew and his voice began to change, "We could bury you alive, and you'd die, right?"

"Huh?" Trunks blinked, a cold shiver passing through his spine as he realized this wasn't Goten. Goten would never say something like that. "Who would die?"

"Not, _you_, dumbass." Goten smirked as he stood and bent to offer Trunks his hand, "The _Saiyan._"

"Who?" Trunks took his hand and suddenly, he was on his feet, by the beach. He was wearing swimming trunks and Goten was in his lifeguard outfit. "Who?" Trunks repeated as he realized Goten was looking beyond him, "_My_ dad or _yours?_"

"Didn't you hear?" Goten took a step forward him, his dark eyes flashing in the sunlight, "She's dead."

"Who is?" Trunks frowned as he watched this impostor laugh in Goten's body.

"The _bitch_." Goten smirked.

The sunny sky suddenly turned a dark gray and began to rain upon them. Everything shifted so fast as Trunks immediately knew who Goten was talking about.

"No!" Trunks stepped back into a mirror as his eyes went wide, "I can't believe that!"

The mirror shattered around him, leaving him on an old battlefield. There were craters and boulders, and other traces of rubble and debris scattered everywhere. Grass was growing here, now, so whatever fight occurred here happened a long time ago.

"This was the place."

Trunks looked down to his side and saw Pan standing there, holding her trademark orange bandana in her hands. Her hair was slightly longer now, and she appeared older. There was something about her eyes that showed she was wiser now, and it haunted him to see her like this.

"What place?" his voice was calm and gentle as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"He died here." Pan looked down with a tear streaming from her face, "Poor… poor Grandpa…"

"_Promise me,_" the boy's voice returned to the world and seemed to come from everywhere, "_if I go away, that you'll take care of her…_"

"Pan…" Trunks turned to face her and put both his hands on her shoulders, suddenly feeling a sort of peace knowing she was alright, that she was okay… "Pan."

"No." Pan looked up to him with a faltering face, "Stay away from me."

Trunks raised his eyebrows in surprise as his chest clenched, "_W_-_What?_"

"You've been a bad boy." Pan's eyes flashed red, and when they reappeared they were his mother's eyes. As he backed away from her, she became his mother, and his mother grew taller and taller as the ground shifted beneath them.

"H-How? How have I been bad?" Trunk stumbled back a few steps and tripped over some wires, landing in the docking hangar. "I don't understand! What the hell is going _on?_"

His mother advanced on him, her face becoming distorted with the light until she became his father, still looming over him. Everything seemed taller to him now, and he realized he was once again in the body of a child, backing away in fear.

"Father… father, _stop_ this!"

"I can kill you." Vegeta's eyes narrowed and his body began to change before Trunks. His normal black hair became a white as red lines ran down his face. Trunks had seen this before, but he couldn't grasp it. It was only when Vegeta opened his mouth again, and a high pitched cackle emerged, Trunks' eyes went wide with the realization he had back in the gravity room.

"Baby!" Trunks sneered.

Baby's hand whipped out before Trunks could move, and he was rammed through the wall and they both were suddenly outside, with Trunks dangling from Baby's hand, choking as Baby throttled him.

"I can _kill_ you…" Baby scowled as his blue eyes flashed from the shell of his father, "you… and the Saiyan _brat_ at the snap of my fingers."

Then suddenly, Baby let go, and Trunks felt himself falling into a canyon below. Lightning flashed in the sky as he fell in a silent scream, and before he realized it, he was on the ground, the landing quickly forgotten as he tried to stand up, disoriented and confused.

"You Saiyan _filth,"_ the voice growled, "You're _next._"

"What" Trunks looked up and realized Baby was hovering above, snarling down to him.

"Vegeta's line ends with you," Baby spit onto him as Trunks suddenly began to be sucked back in to a vortex, "You _traitor!"_

"No!" Trunks felt himself being pulled and grabbed onto a rock, terrified of where he was being taken. He reached his hand out to Baby and screamed, "No! I'm not a traitor! _Never!_"

"_Promise me…_" The voice emanated from nowhere again as Trunks continued to grab on to a rock, screaming for dear life. "_Promise me!"_

"Goku! GOKU!" Trunks shouted on top of the rising wind, "Goku, _help me!_"

Another voice rose over the wind, "_You lied to me! You lied!_"

"No, I didn't! I didn't lie!" Trunks suddenly lost his hold and was sucked into another mirror that shattered upon his impact, as the glass fell around him, it glued itself to the sides, and suddenly he found himself in the spaceship, hugging Pan.

Everything was quiet as they stood there, and Trunks was still reeling from the panic and the rush from before. Everything was so confusing. Everything was just tearing at his mind, he thought he was going to go crazy! It seemed like it'd been like this for months. Months and months, without rest…

Pan sighed a bit and looked up to him in the short-lived silence. "What if something comes between us…?"

Trunks was screaming inside as he felt his body begin to laugh and shake its head, then look down to her with a smile, "Listen to me, Pan. Nothing is going to go wrong, and even if something does, there's no way I could ever forget you."

Pan smiled, "Really?" She blushed a bit and hugged him tightly.

Closing his eyes, Trunks held her close and felt a tear escape him as he whispered in her hair, "And I would never let anyone hurt you again."

He felt Pan smile and snuggle against his neck, "You promise?"

Trunks frowned inside as he felt a pang in his stomach, but his body still smiled, "I promise."

"_You lied to me_." The voice emerged again as he felt Pan begin to slip from his fingers.

"No, Pan! Pan, stop!" Trunks held onto her as if his life were tied to her. He wouldn't lose her. He wouldn't let something solid like that slip from his fingers again! "Pan, stay with me!"

"_Kill her_." Baby's voice emerged as the ship turned dark and he found himself floating in a void again, holding Pan protectively against his chest.

"Ahhh!" Trunks suddenly felt his head explode with pain as his entire body writhed in agony. He felt like he was being ripped apart as he fell back with her into a burning prairie. Wheat grass grew above them in all directions as he clutched onto Pan, sobbing into her shoulder from the pain that seemed to be ripping him apart inside. But Pan hung loosely in his arms, and he realized she hadn't moved since they were on the spaceship.

Trunks tried to push aside his pain as he gently lay her down on the grass among the wheat and shook her, "Pan…"

"_Kill Her!_" The voice now screamed inside his head as Trunks cried out and clawed at his hair.

"Stop it! Stop it, go _away! _STOP IT!" Trunks squeezed his eyes shut and fell beside Pan on the grass, grabbing her again to support himself, to make sure he wasn't going to vanish again.

_Save Pan…_

It was a thought above all the agony and anguish in his mind. It was more than a thought. It was… a resistance. It was a real idea, a solid thought that was fighting the current, _Save Pan…_

"Pan…" Trunks clutched her tightly and buried his head in the crook of her neck, "Pan, help me. Help me, please… Help me… Pan…?"

The wind picked up as he opened his eyes and realized she was bleeding profusely. She looked battered and ill, covered with scars along her body as her gi was soaked with her own blood.

"Pan!" Trunks sat up and cradled her in the wheat grass, shaking her desperately, "Pan, can you hear me? Oh god…" He shook her again, his voice trembling as he fought back tears, "Pan, wake up! Wake up!"

He held Pan as a dark wind began to rise again. It was like the calm before the storm. He only had a little bit of time, but he knew he was going to lose her if he didn't do something soon. "Pan!" He shook her violently this time, "Don't die on me! Don't you dare die on me! _PAN!_" She still hung limply in his arms as the wind began to scream and the sky turned a dark midnight blue.

"Wake up, Pan! Wake up!" Trunks was desperate now as he felt her begin to fade in his arms, "Please, Pan… _Wake up!_"

–––––––

Pan shot awake in bed, sweating profusely as she threw her covers from her. Her first instinct was to shoot out of bed and scramble to her feet in a fighting pose, panting heavily at the memory of her nightmare.

A few seconds' pause and the silence of the evening rang in her ears louder than any blast she had to ever endure. She listened with intensity and then quickly did a ki scan of the area around her.

There were three figures within her vicinity, but she couldn't tell who. She was still disoriented from springing up in bed, but it was easy enough to tell that they were not Tuffles. Whoever they were had washed her and dressed her in some nightgown.

She relaxed her shoulders as she stood up straight and leaned her right arm on the bed, propping herself up as she lowered her head and ran her fingers through her long hair.

Memories of the battle suddenly rammed into her mind as she remembered Gohan's eyes as he was about to kill her. She gasped and immediately lifted her dress to get a good look at her stomach. Not able to see much in the dark, she edged along the wall until she got near to the door and then searched for a light switch. Finding none, she frowned and made a small yellow ki ball in her left hand that illuminated the room well enough for her to find a lantern.

She made her way back to the bed and lit the only lantern she saw in the room. It cast a faint orange glow to her surroundings, and she immediately recognized this as her room, the one she lived in when she stayed with her Gramps and Buu.

_They saved me…_ Pan's eyes went wide as she went to her mirror, _Gramps saved my life…_

What she saw in the mirror horrified her. It left her breathless as she saw how emaciated she had become. But even more than that, it was her eyes that scared her more than anything. She never remembered having eyes as hard as the ones she had now. She looked down and her shoulders trembled as she realized she had once been so innocent. It was so long ago when her life seemed so easy… But since then, she had to endure the loss of her family, her friends, her mentor, her grandpa, her father…

Pan lifted her nightgown and observed her lower abdomen in the mirror. There was a scar there, a round scar that was slightly below and to the right of her belly button. It looked like too clean of a scar for it to have healed naturally. Either she received stitches or Buu must have healed her. Either that, or Gohan had slipped her a sensu bean when she was out. But she highly doubted that one.

Her eyes darted to the door as she felt a warning sign, a slight suspicion as to who the third ki was that was staying with them. A part of her screamed 'danger', because she had learned not to trust _anyone_ during these last months of her life, but another part of her rebutted that thought with common knowledge that anyone staying with her and Gramps must be a friend.

But what friend would have such a high power level? Pan's eyebrows frowned as she felt slightly confused, her heart racing. Piccolo was the last of the Z fighters. What other person could be staying with them?

She walked to the window and looked outside, noting the soft white light that seemed to be streaming through. For a long time, she had been used to the Planet Tuffle casting a red glow on the sky, but this was different. She looked out the window, but wasn't able to see anything. She searched along the window for a sill, but realized to her dismay that there was no way to open the window. It was built straight into the wall, capsule-style. If she wanted to go to outside, she'd have to use the front door.

The only problem was… she didn't want to face anyone right now.

Waiting a moment, she did another ki scan and determined where all three were at once. If she was correct in assuming she was in a generic capsule home, there would be one other bedroom, a large living area, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. She just hoped that they'd be in places she could conveniently avoid. She wasn't in the mood for a welcome home party, and the last thing she wanted to do was have to explain what she'd been doing the past seven or so months. At the memory of Piccolo, her stomach threatened to reel as her eyes swelled, threatening tears. No… she didn't want to have to think of that right now… Not now.

When it was all clear, she opened her door a crack, and soundlessly swung it open, tiptoeing on the carpet as she let it shut with a slow click behind her. Her eyes darted down the small hall and after it was all clear, she pressed herself to the wall and edged along silently. As she reached the living room, she noticed Hercule and Buu talking about some nostalgic moment, and she cursed under her breath. She got down on her hands and knees and crawled, then, along the wall, so they wouldn't see her.

_God, I'm so immature…_ Pan scowled to herself. _I must look like the biggest idiot right now._ As she reached the edge of the living room, she ducked into the kitchen and hit behind the island table, panting to herself as she wiped away beats of sweat on her forehead.

Glad that Hercule and Buu were behind her, Pan stood up with her head looking behind, but as she faced forward, she bumped straight into something hard and was knocked back.

"He–!"

"–Shhh!" Pan instinctively reached out and covered his mouth, but as she realized what she was doing, she reeled her right hand back as if she touched a hot stove.

The boy before her blinked and lowered his voice slightly with a warm smile, "You're awa–!"

"–Stay back!" Pan snarled as she grabbed a knife and held it before her, "I don't know you!"

"I'm–"

"–I don't _care_." Pan hissed as she narrowed her eyes. "You never saw me." Pan backed up slowly, still holding the knife. Her eyes darted down to her object and then she looked back at him with a stern frown, "And I'll be taking this."

"What?" the boy blinked at her and frowned, "Where are you going?"

"You _never saw_ me!" Pan turned and sprinted out the living room door, earning two more shouts of surprise as she slammed it and ran out to the open night.

"Come back!" The boy started to run after her, but Pan could feel her eyes swelling again as tears streamed down her face in the harsh wind. It was hard to see in the dim lighting, but she managed to avoid as many trees as she could as she ran blindly through the forest.

She kept seeing visions of her Tuffle father, thrusting his arm in her and laughing at her pain. She couldn't get Piccolo out of her sight, nor could she disregard the pain she felt as she remembered her dream.

The world passed by in a rush, and she continued to run faster until she reached the edge of the woods, and still continued to run.

She didn't know what she was running away from, but she had to get out of there. She had to leave this. She had to end it all – all her suffering… because she was a failure. She failed everyone. She failed her father; she failed Trunks; she couldn't avenge Piccolo or her Grandpa… She was just as weak as she'd always been. Nothing had changed.

Pan stopped as she reached the edge of a cliff and looked down. It wasn't far of a drop, but below, there was a beautiful lake that reflected something white in the sky. As Pan breathed heavily, she slowly brought her eyes up to the source, and was awed at the gigantic moon hovering above the horizon.

It was beautiful, in its quarter-phase. She had never seen something that beautiful… so simple and yet… there was so much history behind it. There were so many associations that went into that quarter moon, and they overwhelmed her as she dropped to her knees at the edge of the cliff, and her hand loosened on the knife.

She thought of Piccolo again, and how he wished that moon into existence. She remembered the night as if it were yesterday, when she sat up with him all night and they talked… and for the first time in so long, she felt loved, in Piccolo's own way. She had a family again. She had a friend…

And then she couldn't help but remember the feel of his skin as it vanished from her hands. He was truly gone then… Pan felt her cheeks swell as tears rolled down her face. She looked to the reflection in the lake water and sniffed back some extra tears that would fall.

There was no hope of bringing him back. When he died… he took the Yellow Star Dragonballs with him. And the Black Star balls… And now…there truly was no way of saving the Earth. The Earth, and everything, and everyone she ever loved, was doomed. And she wasn't strong enough to fight it.

But she would be. Pan looked up to the moon again and felt a determination in her stare. Piccolo left her that moon to remember him by. And although she lost that battle, she did _not_lose the _war_. She _refused_ to go down without a fight. If they wanted to kill her, they'd have to follow through. Until then, she'd make their lives _miserable._

Her right hand clenched tighter around the knife as she stood up and stared at Piccolo's gift in the sky.

"I'm going to do this for you Piccolo," Pan gave a stern frown as she brought the knife up behind her. "And Grandpa… I'm doing this for you, too."

And with one powerful sweep, she sliced the blade through her hair.

She continued to chop it off, any bit that she could. She sawed it until her bangs once again went just above her eyebrows. She wanted it off. She would _never_ fall victim to Gohan grabbing her hair again. _Never_.

When she was done, she tossed the blade into the lake and stepped back to gaze again at the quarter moon.

"I'm doing this for you, Piccolo," she said again as she nodded to the sky.

And then she turned around and began her walk home.

––––––––

––––––––

–5/27/05–


	56. Outtakes! Intermission!

OUTTAKES, 2nd Volume  
(Baby Saga Edition)  
**_Intermission!_**

:.:curtains close, lights go on:.:

Surprise! I'm doing an Intermission set of Outtakes, since we have just now reached the halfway point of the Baby Saga! So sit back, relax, and laugh your head off! Outtakes are BACK! X) And please pardon the period dots that separate the "!"s and the "?"s as I bypass the Quickedit deletion process (it delets them if they are back to back)

–––––––

Chapter 28: Experimental Menu…

G: Oh _PLEASE_ can we go to Hammys?.!.?.!  
T: No!  
G: PLEEEEASE  
T: NO!  
G: Please with a cherry on top!  
T: NO!  
G: Please with a sugar filling?.?.?  
T: No.  
G: Please with marshmallows and pickles and onions?  
T:.:gag:.: No.  
G: Please with mushrooms and celery and hot dogs?  
T: .… ehh…  
G: Please with mustard and whipped cream and tofu and carrots and frog legs?.?.?  
Trunks:.:gag:.: Aaaaugh... :.:gag:.: _Fine_, just stop it! Augh, I'm sick enough as it _IS_…

–––––––

Chapter 30: One Down

Baby:.:cackles, watching Trunks suffer on the floor:.: You've given me trouble in the past, _son_. You'll find that _this_ time, you won't be able to win the battle.  
Director: CUT! Okay, this is where you proceed to kick Trunks in the side.  
Baby:.:nods:.: Got it.  
Director: STUNT DOUBLE!.!.! Where's the STUNT DOUBLE?.!.?.:.:claps hands:.: Come on, guys _move it, _we don't have all day!  
Mirai: Coming, I'm coming!.!

–––––––

Chapter 34: Attempted

P:.:releases a desperate muffled scream:.: MHBMMM?.:.:hits his back with her fists:.:  
T:.:breaks kiss and cackles:.: Are you getting _excited_ yet?.!  
P: You _bastard! _:.:slaps his face with a loud –_CRACK!–_:.:You'll never get away with this!  
T:…  
P:…  
T:…  
P:…  
T:…oo_oooOOOWWwwww_!.!.:.:tenderly touches his cheek:.: _What'd you do **that **for?.!_

–––––––

Chapter 43: The Good, the Bath, and the Uglier

Pc:.:whips out Rubber Ducky:.:  
P: What are you DOING?.!.?.!.?.!  
Pc: What does it LOOK like I'm doing? Now scoot over, I need room for my Choo-Choo boat.

–––––––

Chapter 44: Yahtzee

Ancient Kai: Oouuuuu!.!.:.:clenches fists together:.: FINE!.!.!.!.!.:.:shakes fist toward Goku:.: But you have to cook your _own_ rice! And _mine too!  
_Kibito:.:blinks:.: What about for me?  
AK:.:huffs:.: Oh yes, I _forgot _about _you_.  
K: Hey!.:.:frowns:.: Are you still upset that I beat you in that Yahtzee game?  
AK: You _cheated!_ :.:shakes fist at K:.: I _know_ you did! _Nobody_ beats me in Yahtzee!

–––––––

Chapter 45: Seussified!

H: Buu! Buu! What're we gonna _do!  
_B: Buu find Pan, and Green Man too!  
H: Aww, Buu! Thank you, Buu!  
Don't know what Ah'd do w'out you!

–––––––

Chapter 46: When a Capital One might come in handy…

P:.:drops dragonball:.:  
Pc:.:dives for the ball: AHH NO!.!.!  
:.:ball shatters on the ground:.:  
P: Ooops... :.:cringe:.: That wasn't expensive... was it?

–––––––

Chapter 46: The Summoning

TAKE 1:

Pc: _ARISE VERSHMORGADORF!_

TAKE 2:

Pc: _ARISE GOKU!  
_GtheD:.:arises from the dragonballs:.: _Who has awakened me from my slumber?.?  
_Pc: Ah:.:blink.:.: Woa, woa, are you… Are you Goku?.!  
GtheD: _Yes! What is your wish?  
_Pc: Excuse me!.? YOU are NOT my dragon. There has to have been some kind of mistake. :.:looks to Pan:.: Did _you_ have anything to do with this?.!  
P: Hey hey:.:brings hands up:.: I didn't do _anything_ to it…!  
Pc:.:glares:.: Only _you_ would have put Goku's _HAIR _on my model!  
P: I swear!.!.! I didn't do it!.!.!  
G:.:Goku walks on set, holding a script and whistling:.:.:looks over to them:.: Oh hey, guys:.:looks up:.: OH WOW! Is that the _dragon_?.:.:steps back in surprise:.: Heeyyy! He looks just _like_ me!  
Pc: Goku, did _you_ do this?.!  
G: Huh? Me? No, the only thing I did today was eat and play with a clay figurine I found lying about in the props section. :.:blink:.: Why?  
Pc:.:hangs head in hands:.: My God, Goku, I wish you didn't have to be so _stupid _all the time.  
GtheD: _Your wish has been granted.  
_P & Pc: _WHAT?.!.!.!.!  
_G: Huh?.:.:blinks:.: I'm not quite sure I comprehend his statement. Would it a veritable assumption to conceive the notion that I have currently attained an ascended pragmatic ability to acquire esoteric vernacular and an acute perception of –  
Pc: –Oh just _shut up_, Goku. :.:groans to Pan:.: This is just _great. _He's worse than _ever_…

TAKE 3:

Pc: ARISE _TROGDOR!.!.!  
_P: …? Trogdor?  
Pc:.:shrugs:.: Trogdor was a man. He was a dragon man. In fact, he was just a dragon.

–––––––

Chapter 48: No, Luke…

Gh: Piccolo never told you what happened to your father.  
P: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!  
Gh: No, Pan. _I_ … killed _KENNY!  
_P: No, No that can't be! That's impossible! You _BASTARD!_

–––––––

Chapter 50: Hypocrite

Gt: Get back to bed _NOW_, or else I'm going to report you to Lord Baby.  
T:.:fakes a yawn:.: You'd never do that, you hypocrite.  
Gt: Heheheheh... Heheheheh!.!.!  
T:.:huffs and rubs knees:.: You probably don't even know what that word means.  
Gt: Sure I do.  
T: …  
Gt: …  
T: …?  
Gt: I looked it up in the dictionary and saw it meant '_Trunks_'!  
T: …  
Gt: …

–––––––

Chapter 51: Now I Can Go to the Movies!

Goku: So I press this blue button right here?  
AK: Yes, but before you press it -  
:.:Goku presses it:.:  
:.:Lawnmower zooms off without him:.:  
Gk: Hey HEY!.!.! Wait up, I'm supposed to be on that thing!  
:.:Lawnmower comes out and zips over him:.:  
:.:Goku stands up with his entire gi shaved off him. His clothes fall down:.:  
AK: Goku! You're naked!  
Goku: Oh my god, I got a _haircut!_  
AK/GK ...!.!.!.!.!  
Gk: YAY:.:cheers:.: Won't Pan be _proud!.!.!_

–––––––

Chapter 51: New Job!

TAKE 1:

Ancient Kai: Goku... I have a new job for you!  
Goku: Oh really?.! What is it:.:rubs hands together:.:  
Ancient: You can be my pool boy

TAKE 2:

Ancient Kai: ... my garbage man

TAKE 3:

Ancient Kai: My dog washer

TAKE 4:

Ancient Kai: My hair stylist

TAKE 5:

Ancient Kai: My personal therapist.  
Goku: Alright, tell me what's on your mind.  
Ancient Kai: Well… it all started when I was a _boy…  
_Goku: ACK:.:jumps up:.: CUT! _Stunt Double!.!.!.!_

–––––––

Chapter 52: Join Us

TAKE 1:

Gh: Join us, Piccolo, and together we can be Tuffles!  
Pc: No way, I... snicker Hehehaha, sorry, sorry. Lets try this again.

TAKE 2:

Gh: … and become a Tuffle!  
Pc: I...-snort- Hahaha, sorry, I... HAHA...

TAKE 3:

Gh: And then you can become a _Tuf_... heheheh…  
Pc: Heheheahahha

TAKE 4:

Gh: Ahhhan den juw khan beekhom a Schwarzenegger-jin!  
Pc: HAHAHAHAHA :.:falls back:.:

Director: CUT! Goddamnit, people, stop goofing off and get _serious!_

–––––––

Chapter 52: Accidents Happen

Pan: No!  
Pc:.:fires Special Beam Cannon:.:  
:.:cannon shoots Pan right through the heart:.:  
Pan: Ahhh… ahhh! Ahhh… ah…. :.:falls back, dead:.:  
P: …  
Pc: …  
Gh: …  
P: …  
Pc: CRAP! I killed _another _one?  
Director: _CUT!_ Bring in the next stunt double!  
Gh:.:smirks to Piccolo:.: You're on a roll.  
Pc: Hmmph.  
Gh:.:looks ahead.:.: But thank god it's not the _real_ Pan, or else I'd _KILL_ you…  
Pc: …  
Gh: … Shut up.

–––––––

Chapter 52: Blame the Artists

Gh: Now DIEEEE!.!.!.!.!.:.:fires huge ki blast:.:  
Pc: No!.!.:.:takes the shot:.:  
P: PICCOLO!.!.! PICCOLO NO!.!.!  
Pc: Ahh... ahh... :.:stands up:.: I'm not going down _that_ easily!  
Gh: …?  
P: …?  
Pc: …?  
Gh: Piccolo, I thought you were supposed to die?  
P: Yeah, Piccolo, I really don't think you have any more lines.  
Pc: What do you mean I _die_? I don't _ever_ die. Since when do I die?.:.:flips through pages:.: I'm not seeing my death anywhere in here.  
Gh: Yeah, the writers wrote in your death because um :.:flips through pages:.: you're supposed to blow up Heaven later on and save Goku from um... Hell…:.:flips through more pages:.: That can't be right. Why would my dad be in Hell?  
Pc: Why would I be DEAD?  
P:.:flips through pages:.: Oh I see… you were originally supposed to die by committing suicide on an exploding planet.  
Pc: Since _WHEN?.!.?.!  
_P: Hey hey hey, don't blame me. Blame the GT people. :.:puts down script:.:  
Gh: Yeah, Piccolo, when in doubt, blame the artists.  
Pc: Hoo boy!.!.!.:.:makes a fist:.: Are they going to hear it from _ME!.!.!.!.!.!_

–––––––

Chapter 53: Monologue

TAKE 1:

Director: Okay, Monologue Scene, Take One… and… _action!_

Gh: I have to tell you of a great vision  
P: Save it for King Yemma.  
Gh: The Tuffles… the most powerful race… :.:gag:.:  
P: Only powerful because you _possess _people!  
Gh: _Yes!_ We Tuffles will _spread!_ We'll… :.:snort:.: Heh… Hehehahah:.:stops and covers his face:.: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just… This _NAME_… Hahaha, '_Tuffle_' Hahaha… God, that's so _stupid!  
_P: Come on, dad, get serious.  
Gh: I mean… :.:puts hands in front of him:.: The _'Tuffles'_ , the most powerful race! 'Watch _out! _Here comes a _Tuffle!'_ Hahahaha!

TAKE 2:

Director: And… _action!_

Gh: I have to tell you of a great vision  
P: Save it for King Yemma.  
Gh: The Tuffles… the most _powerful_ :.:snort:.: Hehehehahaha! I'm –hahaha– sorry, but isn't there _anything else_ I can say? I mean… come _on_, I'm supposed to be the _bad guy_ here. How can I possibly be _serious_ with this _script! _Hehehahaha!

TAKE 3: (Badass)

Director: And… _rolling!_

Gh: I know what you're thinking, rat. You're thinking, is he feeling tired after all this fighting? Well to tell you the truth, I am pretty forgetful about my own power. But being as this is a sensu bean, the most potent power restorer in the world and will give me the power to blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question:am I ready to die yet?Well are ya… _Saiyan?_

–––––––

Chapter 54: Dynamic Duo Strikes Again

Gh: And here's my _trump card!_  
:.:pulls out an Ace of Spades from his pocket:.:  
Gh:.:eyes go wide:.: Wait a minute!.!.:.:pats his pocket in a panic:.: Where'd the _bean_ go?.?.?.?  
T/Gt:.:(off set):.: Heheheheheh… :.:high five:.:

–––––––

Chapter 54: Daddy's Little Girl

TAKE 11:

Gh: Die, _Saiyan!_ :.:fires a ki blast:.:  
P:.:hit head on:.: Augh, aaahhh:.:falls to ground:.:  
Gh: Ahh? Uh:.:stops and blinks:.: Ah, honey? Honey, are you okay?  
P:.:lies still and growls slightly:.:  
Gh: No, really, Pan! Pan did I hurt you? Are you okay? You don't have any booboos or anything do you? Any scratches?  
P:.:mutters from the ground:.: Papa! Would you STOP ASKING ME and ruining the take?.:.:sits up:.: This has got to be the tenth time you've done this!  
Gh: I know… I know, I just… I just want to make sure you're okay, that's all…

TAKE 12:

Gh: Die, _Saiyan!_ :.:fires a ki blast:.:  
P:.:hit head on:.: Augh, aaahghg:.:falls to ground:.:  
Gh: Oh no! Oh no! Panny, are you okay:.:lands beside her:.: Speak to me, Pan. Can you hear me? Can you recognize me? Are you okay? Talk to me honey, please talk to me! Do you know my name? Do you need to see a doctor? Does anything hurt:.:continues questioning in a panicky voice:.:  
P:.:sighs into the ground:.: I _really_ should have stayed a waitress…

–––––––

Chapter 55: Snoopin'!

P's voice:.:over the wind:.: _You lied ta me! You lied!  
_T: No, I didn't cuz its a pimp thang! I didn't lie:.:gets sucked into another mirror:.:  
:.:mirror shatters:.:  
:.:T suddenly holding P in spaceship:.:  
P:.:looks up:.: What if sum-m sum-m comes between us?  
T:.:smiles down to her:.: Listen ta me, Pan, Noth'n is going ta go wrong, n even if sum-m sum-m does, there's no way I could eva fo'get you.

Director: sum-m sum-m is _sizzeriously _wrong wit dat! 0.o

–––––––

Note: I hope you enjoyed it! Leave a review if you found any particularly funny X) I'd love feedback on my outtakes. Thanks X)


	57. Plan B

CHAPTER 57:  
Plan B

Pan frowned as she sluggishly emerged from the cave she and Piccolo had been sharing for the past several months. It felt painful to leave, and at the same time, it tore her apart to be there without her sensei. There were a lot of memories bottled inside that threatened to tear her apart when she thought of everything she'd lost since Baby arrived. Although she had become better at masking her sadness, it still found ways of luring her as she'd nostalgically look to her past.

She had come back only for several things, one of which being the collection of spare gis Piccolo had provided for her; the other was the photograph she had borrowed from Capsule Corp. so long ago. She looked down on it now with a hard expression. As she looked at it, she realized her view of it had changed. She no longer was looking at the people she wanted to save, but rather, the friends and family Baby stripped from her, and she vowed to avenge them, even if it took her own life. They truly were dead now, as her father had proven to her two weeks ago. There was no way to save them… so she would put them out of their misery. And she would do it because she once loved the people in this photograph, and she knew they would rather die than live as slaves to Baby.

"Got everythin'?" Hercule approached her as Buu and the young man sat by one of the trees Piccolo had used for meditation.

Pan stopped and looked back a moment before looking up to the gray sky above them, "Yeah, sure."

Other than one spare gi she found by the bathing area and adopted to keep Piccolo in her thoughts, Pan had decided to leave Piccolo's things behind, including his dragon model which had turned to a hard stone. It wasn't that she didn't want them, but she couldn't bring herself to touch them. In life, he told her to stay away from his things, and even after he passed, she felt it would be improper to handle any of his belongings. Perhaps after the battle with Baby, she'd come back and figure out what to do with the cave. Perhaps it would be best if she one day were to seal it up, as a tomb in his memory, since his body no longer was in this world.

When she looked down from the sky, her eyes focused on Hercule standing before her and then her eyes shifted to the young man, who was looking at the ground and twiddling his thumbs with a humble expression.

After she had come back to the capsule house last night, her grandfather had tackled her in tears, saying how he thought she'd gone and killed herself; but after the whole incident, she had been introduced to this guy who was several years older than she. He had said that his name was Uub, but she had not been interested in making his acquaintance. As long as they were on the same side, then fine. But that didn't mean she had to be on good terms with the stranger, even if he did save her life.

Now was not the time to make new friends. In these times, friends and their loss just lead to heartbreak, as Pan had learned the hard way. She'd rather keep her distance than have to watch someone else fall under Baby's control.

Apparently, the young man had felt those vibes and kept his distance from her, but from what she could tell, he was masking his ki, a technique known only among the Z fighters. She had her suspicions about the guy, but kept her mouth shut as she watched him continue to twiddle his thumbs.

"So what now?" Hercule frowned as he ran his fingers through his balding curly hair.

"We move on," Pan looked hard at him and then unfocused her eyes as she stared off to some dying trees.

The day was bright, even through the gray skies. In the light, Pan was able to fully see how brown the world was truly becoming. In a slight way, it confused her, because she could have sworn that she had just gone through the winter season a few months before. However, it seemed to be autumn now, but that would be impossible.

Pan walked a few steps in the dying grass and then turned around to look back up at the clouds, ultimately bringing her gaze back to Hercule. "What month is it?"

"Ahh, month?" Hercule blinked and scratched his head as he frowned, "Ah'm not sure. Ah think some time in mid-December. Right, Buu?" He looked to Buu and shrugged his shoulders.

Pan frowned as a breeze gently passed by her face. She instinctively rose her hand to brush away a strand of hair, but was met with just air, as her hair was now so short. It would take her a while to get used to her new haircut, but she had never been so happy and confident about her new look.

"It should be almost summer here." Pan turned to look back at the cave, not really focusing on it as her mind turned its gears. She wondered a moment, pondering the effects of the world, as she stood there. After a moment, she came up with the only solution that would explain this discrepancy.

She turned back to them and said in a low voice, her eyebrows turned low, "The world is dying."

"Huh?" Hercule frowned.

"It was February…" Pan looked to the ground and walked forward, toward Buu and their new addition to the group, Uub. "It was February 2nd when we returned home."

"Okay…?" Hercule rose an eyebrow.

Pan shook her head and looked sternly to him, "You don't understand." She clenched her fists, "This planet is going to _explode_ in a month and a half."

"W-_What?_" Uub jumped to his feet, his eyes wide, "What are you _saying?_"

"I'm saying, the world is going to go _BOOM!_" Pan dropped her things and spread her arms wide as she glared at the young man. "And there's going to be _nothing left!_"

"Ahhh!" Hercule stepped back and clawed at his hair, "What are we gunna _do!_"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do." Pan left her things in a pile as she stepped forward with her right hand to her chin. "We're going to go to the Planet Tuffle."

"The _WHAT?_" Hercule bounced back as if he had just hit a wall, "We can't do _that!_ That's _suicide!_"

Pan spun to Hercule with a glare and spit out, "Well would you rather stay _here_ and die?.!" She rose her hand and pointed to him with a flexed finger, "Either way, we're going to have to face the_ music_, _Gramps!_"

"How are we going to get there?" Uub approached her with a frown, "Did you have any ideas?"

"No." Pan dropped her hand and looked away with an angry face. "No, I don't."

"There's a Tuffle ship…" Hercule brought his hands to his sides and began to walk toward Buu, who was playing with some twigs in his gloves. "There are two, act'ally. Me and Buu saw them with our own eyes."

"A ship?" Pan raised an eyebrow, "You mean that large cruiser that we saw before?"

"Yeah, but there is anoth'r one." Hercule frowned to her, "The big one is on Planet Tuffle. They were sayin' som'thin' about rebuildin' a civilization there. But," he scowled, "There's anoth'r one; the small'r one. That one takes off from the port ev'ry few weeks. It's the express line."

"Good." Pan nodded, "We'll take that one. Do you know when it next leaves?"

"How should _Ah_ know?.!" Hercule scowled and he raised his right fist, "Ah decided to give 'em a break, ya know? Ah knew, if Ah went by there, Ah'd _pummel_ 'em. Ah'd give 'em the old _Hercule Hammer!_ Or the _Knockout Brigade!_" He threw his fists into the air before him and did a mock spar with himself, "Just like _that_."

Hercule continued to spout out names, and more he pumped himself up, the louder and more obnoxious he got, getting carried away with his own vanity.

Pan stood there, watching him as her eyes continued to narrow more and more. She could feel a ticking time bomb about to erupt within her if she didn't shut the guy up, grandfather or not. She was sick and tired of his ego, and the _last_ thing she needed washim to make a _mockery_ of himself, pretending this whole war against Baby were just some _game._

She'd lost too many friends to Baby. She lost too much family. She was just _sick_ of it!

Before anyone could react, Pan snarled and brought back her right fist, and with one powerful blow, she stepped into a giant punch that went _CRACK_ against Hercule's ribs.

The air whistled as Hercule flew back in a wild scream. He soared through the air like a rag-doll and _smacked_ against a tree, causing it to erupt in an explosion of dead, dry leaves. Debris and soil flew everywhere as the leaves catered down around Hercule and scattered in the wind. Hercule just sat there against the cracked tree trunk with stars around his head and a dazed look in his eyes as his mouth hung open in incredulous shock.

Everyone was silent a moment as Pan stepped back, her eyes closed as she huffed and dusted her hands, "Anyone up for _Plan B?_"

Uub had watched this with his eyes bugging from his face and mouth gaping open. He turned his eyes slowly to her and gulped as a bead of sweat rolled down his temple, "Wow, you're pretty _serious_, aren't you?"

Pan just looked at him blankly as she took a few steps back to stand by her clothes. Her eyes then drifted to the grass and her pile as her mind continued to work. She frowned a moment as she thought intently.

Buu then sat up and dropped the twigs he had been playing with. His smile faltered a moment as he squeezes his eyes to think harder. He opened them slightly as he gave a small frown, "Buu beat people up! Mr. Satan comes with Buu on ship!"

"No." Pan shook her head as she looked to Buu, "I don't want to start a scene."

Uub frowned as his eyebrows furrowed, "But _how_ can we get on the ship _without_ starting a scene?"

Pan's eyes darted back to her clothes for a minute before she felt a light bulb go off in her mind. Suddenly, her eyes brightened as a smile played on her lips, "I know!" She looked to Uub and smirked lightly as a trace of mischief danced in her eyes, "We'll go incognito!"

Uub raised his eyesbrows, "In..cognito?"

"Yeah!" Pan ran and jumped up on a boulder by the cave, standing upon it as if she were the reigning queen. She excitedly brought her hands before her and gestured as she continued, "I know _just _the place!"

Uub frowned, "For what?"

"For _clothes_, stupid!" Pan grinned, feeling a spark emerge within her as she thought of a brilliant plan. She hadn't felt this in over a year, since she concocted plans for her Grandpa and Trunks back on the Grand Tour. She could feel a tinge of her old self slipping into her mindset as her smirk became a full smile and she raised her hands. "It's a brilliant plan!"

Uub wasn't convinced, "_What _plan?"

"Okay, get this." Pan jumped down from the rock and continued to gesture as she talked, her voice becoming more excited as she approached the young man, "What do you think the _best_ way for us to travel incognito would be?"

"Uhh," Uub looked at her dubiously as he faltered for words.

"Inside Buu," Hercule came out of his daze and began to stand up by the tree. "We've done it b'fore. We kin just hide inside him."

"_No!_" Pan shook her head and crossed her hands in a wave, "This is even _better!_"

"Better?" Uub raised a brow.

Pan smirked and looked brightly to Uub, "You can travel inside Buu if you like, but this plan is going to work like a charm!"

"What?"

Pan stopped and brought her right hand before her with her index finger pointed up to make a point as she winked, "The best way to be incognito…" She grinned as her eyes darted between all of them, "… is to _stand out _like a _sore thumb!_"

"_What?_" Uub crinked his nose in confusion.

"Don't you _get _it?.!" Pan rubbed her hands together excitedly, "If we dress in the _wildest_ colors _ever_, we could be so _flaringly_ bright, it would be _rude_ for people to stare at us!"

Uub scowled, "That's a _terrible_ plan."

"No, no, no!" Pan shook her head as she grinned, "You don't understand. I mean, we would be _so_ gaudy that _nobody_ could look at us!" She stopped and clenched her fists in anticipation while smiling, "Whaddaya say?"

Uub continued to raise his eyebrow further as his nose crinkled even further, "I say you're _nuts_."

"It's perfect." Pan grinned as she looked to Uub and then to Hercule and Buu. "But I need a volunteer."

Hercule frowned, "To do what?"

Pan's grin grew to a mischievous smirk as she brought her hands together and cracked her knuckles, "To go for a nice long swim."

–––––––

"No, no, no!" Ancient Kai raised his fist and shouted aloud, "You _baka!_ I said to the _left! _The _LEFT!_"

Goku groaned again as he picked up the flower pot and moved it to be in perfect alignment with the other 376, or 77 – or _whatever _amount of – tulips. "Is my training _done_ yet?_"_

"No!" Ancient Kai huffed, "Augh, I get _no_ respect! _No_ respect at all!"

"_Elder Kai…_" Kibito frowned to Ancient Kai as he communicated via telepathy, "_You've been training him for almost eleven Earth months now…_"

"_I KNOW that, Kibito. But it just isn't GROWING!"_

"_The Earth only has one more month until it explodes. His granddaughter is going to make a confrontation before that. I really suggest you send Goku down –now-._"

"_I know what I'm doing, Kibito, and we just have to have patience._"

Kibito Kai sighed as he watched Goku wipe his forehead with his left arm, dampening his pink wristband.

"Well, that's all of them." Goku stepped back with a frown, "Unless there are any _more_ flowers you want me to plant…"

A low gruff voice huffed, "I never thought I'd see the day when Goku became a _pansy_."

Goku frowned deeply to Piccolo as he scratched his tailbone, "That's not funny."

"Yeah well, sitting around and doing _nothing_ isn't funny, _either_."

Goku stood there a moment, his bottom lip pouted in a small frown as he blinked blankly toward Piccolo. Then, as if a sudden idea came to him, Goku stepped back and beamed a smile, "_I_ know what could be fun!" And without waiting another moment, he brought his hands to his mouth and whistled loudly, "Hey Shusugoro!"

"Yeah?.!" A small child's voice came from behind a hill.

"No, no!" Ancient Kai stomped his foot, "I shall not permit play time!"

"Give him a break, Elder Kai." Kibito frowned to his elder, "He's been working day in and day out non-stop."

"Hrmmph."

"I mean," Kibito frowned as he gestured to their right side, "He installed a pool, jacuzzi, water fountain, artificial waterfall…" He pointed upward to a pole with speakers, "… and an _atmosphere_ generator," he frowned, "not to mention your new garden."

"Hrmmph."

Kibito raised an eyebrow, "One may begin to assume that you may be…" he brought his voice low as his right hand covered the side of his mouth, "_exploiting_ him."

"Oh _BAH!"_ Ancient Kai huffed as he narrowed his eyes, "Fine. He can have a break."

"A _break?_" Goku jumped up as he heard the word, "_Really?_"

"You get _TEN MINUTES!_" Ancient Kai brought up his finger and huffed, "_TEN._"

Goku cheered as he rubbed his hands together, "That's _wonderful!_" He jumped and then ran to meet Shusugoro halfway up the hill.

"Gokoku!" Shusugoro chirped as he bounced around Goku, "Let's play!"

"Okay," Goku grinned as he followed the boy with his head, "What do you wanna play?"

"Let's play _Ping Pong!_"

Goku stopped as his eye twitched, "Whaaa?"

The boy laughed, "I wanna be the ping pong ball!"

"And I'll be the ping pong table!" Sugoro hiked up the hill, grinning.

Goku blinked in confusion "Whaa_aaaaa_? What's ping pong?"

"I'll teach you, Goku." Kibito stepped up beside him and placed a gentle hand on Goku's head, "You'll enjoy it."

"_Nine_ minutes…" Ancient Kai huffed with his arms crossed, looking away as he began to pace.

Sugoro grinned and suddenly, with a _POP_, became a rather large professional-size ping pong table. His son followed suit with a _POP_ and became a ping pong ball that bounced several times and then made a leap onto the table, rolling about excitedly.

Ancient Kai stopped pacing a moment as he blinked at the two aliens' shapeshift transformations.

Kibito Kai manifested two ping pong paddles and handed one to Goku as he began to explain the Kai's version of the rules. Ancient Kai, however, was lost in thought as he continued to blink at the transformations.

He had already known that Sugoro and Shusugoro were lazy little shapeshifters, but he had not been aware of how _well_ they shapeshifted. This came as a slight surprise to him as he furrowed his gray eyebrows in thought.

"_Kibito!_" Ancient Kai grumbled through telepathy.

"_Yes, Elder Kai?_"

"_Are you thinking what I'm thinking?_"

Kibito stopped in mid-instruction as he rose his head to frown at his elder. "_No…?_"

Ancient Kai smirked haughtily to himself as he brought his right hand to his chin and stroked it. His eyes lit with a brilliant plan. "Yes…" He mumbled to himself as his lips curved to a mischievous smirk, "Yes… Yes indeed…" He grinned as his eyes darted to Goku, " It just might _work_…"

–––––––

–––––––

–6/4/05–


	58. The Secret Stuff!

CHAPTER 58:  
The Secret _Stuff!_

The sky was a dark blood red with slight vanishing pinks and indigo clouds along the horizon while everything else in the world was painted in dark shades of blue. Two seagulls called as they seemed to hover in the breeze, their shrieks muffled as large waves crashed along the shore like rhythmic drums before the war hunt.

To the east, the sky was an especially dark shade of black, colored in bright whites and yellows every few minutes as static lightning danced within the clouds. The breeze was cool and damp as the final rays vanished along the western horizon, leaving the world enshrouded in darkness.

Two dark figures emerged from the waves, keeping low to the ground as they ran along the shore. They stopped every few moments and darted their heads to make sure no one noticed them, and then moved closer to their target, making light shadowed footprints along the beach.

Once they sprinted to the walls, they pinned themselves against the wood for several minutes, scanning for any signs of ki. The lights were on in the house, yet it appeared no one was home. This confused one slightly as she ran a ki check one more time, to be absolutely certain everyone was out; though, the only signs of life seemed to be some whales off the shoreline.

They both kept quiet as the figure brought a silent index finger to her lips and then signaled the other shadow to follow her as they edged their way to a window.

–––––––

"Three _aces!_" Oolong cackled as he lay down the hand, "Pay up!"

Puar and Turtle sighed as they lay down their cards. The small feline groaned slightly in her high pitched voice, "How is it you _always_ win?"

"Shhh!" Master Roshi glued his eye to the periscope across the submarine bridge, "This could be trouble!"

"_I'd_ say!" Turtle frowned slowly as he sighed again, "I'm all out of chips."

Puar pouted, "_Yeah_, Oolong. It's not _fun_ if you keep winning."

"_Shhh!_" Master Roshi hissed as he bared his teeth, "Those darn _Tuffles!_" He growled as he brought his hands away from the periscope, "They're _back_ again!"

Oolong groaned as he collected the chips, sorting the blues and the reds with scrupulous care. The groan escalated into a nasal whine as he grumpily looked up, "Don't they _ever_ go away?"

Master Roshi growled as he brought his eyes back to the periscope, "And look, they're going into the _house!_" He brought his face away and turned to Oolong, Puar and Turtle, as he said in an old husky voice, "They'd better not go through my _Vixen_ magazines!

"Oh _no!_" Oolong groaned as he dropped some chips and grabbed his ears, "I thought that you _hid_ those!"

Roshi frowned as whined a little as he looked up, stroking his beard dejectedly, "Those are my most _priiiized _possessions…"

"Yeah, yeah," Puar rolled her eyes as her mouth turned down in a frown.

Turtle looked to Master Roshi and then looked down at his cards as he overturned them, "Too bad Goku's gone. He could take care of the Tuffles."

"Ehh, Goku?" Master Roshi raised an eyebrow as he looked up to the submarine ceiling, "I'm not quite sure he's _gone_, Turtle, but I can't, for the _life_ of me, tell where–"

There was a large _BOOM!_ that suddenly sent a shock wave through the ocean, rattling the ship as everything was shifted and overturned in an instant. Everyone and everything went flying as Roshi, Oolong and Turtle slammed to the ceiling and then landed on the ground. Puar was hovering in surprise as she clasped her hands to her mouth, "Oh no! What was _that?_"

"They _AREN'T!_" Roshi's eyes widened as he scrambled back to the periscope with an angry swollen lip, "They _ARE!_"

Oolong groaned as he began to pick up his scattered poker chips, "What happened _now?"_

"Noooo!" Roshi wailed, banging his fist against the submarine wall, "Those darn _Tuffles!_"

Puar frowned, "What now?"

"That's _it!_" Roshi put away the periscope and made a fist, shaking it at the ceiling, "We're going _up!_"

Oolong panicked, grabbing the table with wide eyes, "Up _THERE?_"

Puar wailed, "But there are _Tuffles_ up there!"

"I know, I know!" Roshi growled as he stroked his chin, "But they're going through my secret_ stuff!_"

"Oh _NO!_" Oolong's eyes bugged as his ears stood up straight, "How do you _KNOW?_"

"Because…" Master Roshi growled as he tapped the periscope angrily, "I set a _bomb_ trap on that chest! And it isn't _there_ any more, now _is it?_"

–––––––

"Hack! Cough! Aacchh!" Pan fell back as her nostrils flared with smoke, "Ahhgh!"

"Oh great spirits!" Uub hacked as he tried to waft the smoke from his face, "What _WAS _that?"

The room was completely charred black with a few papers singeing with the remains of their ash. Smoke was everywhere and soot covered Pan and Uub from head to toe as they coughed in front of the large metal chest they had attempted to open.

"I –khhh– I don't _know, _–khhh–hhuh–!"

Pan sneezed and shook her head as she spit out some ash that somehow made its way into her mouth. She seemed to be slightly disoriented as she stumbled to her feet and then squinted her eyes to get a good look at the artifact in front of her.

A moment passed as they both stood there, blackened figures who had wandered to the second floor, now panting in the clearing smoke that billowed out the windows. A few lone island crickets chirped outside a moment as Pan took a step toward the chest, her lips curving into a smirk.

Uub just looked at it, "What is it?"

"Well, obviously it must have something good inside it," Pan grinned, "Hopefully something flaring!"

"I don't know, Pan," Uub raised his eyebrow at her, "I think we just experienced enough _flaring_ for one evening."

"Oh _hush_," Pan grinned as she lifted the lid, "You need to be willing to take _risks _in life if you ever want to be a hero!"

"Who said anything about wanting to be a _hero?_"

"Silly." Pan grinned as she picked out the first outfit in the chest, "Wow, look at this!"

Uub coughed in the settling smoke and frowned, "What is it?"

"This must be Krillin's old gi. Wow!" Pan put the orange outfit against herself and laughed, "It's too small even for _me_ now!"

"Quit playing around," Uub frowned, "I am not comfortable with being in a house without being invited in. And what we're doing is wrong!"

"Huh?" Pan dropped the outfit and turned to him, scowling, "What do you mean without being invited in! Do you honestly think _Tuffles_ would willingly invite us _in?_"

"Shh!" Uub brought his hands forward and grimaced as he motioned for her to keep it down, "You don't know when they'll be coming _back_."

"Hmmph," Pan picked out a small purple outfit from the chest and then threw it aside as she rummaged deeper in the pile, "I'm not afraid of Master Rosh–_EEK!_" Pan screamed as her eyes flew wide and her body sprung back. The item in her hands went flying upward and then landed with a _SMACK_ on the ground, opened to the centerfold page. A naked pink pig woman lay sprawled along the pages, wearing nothing more than her birthday suit.

"Ew, _gross!_" Pan shrieked again as she backed away quickly, "There are _more _of them?"

"What's this?" Uub picked it up in wonder.

"Don't touch that! It's _beastiality_ pictures!"

Uub turned it sideways as he raised an eyebrow, "What's so wrong with her body?"

"Just… oh _God_," Pan covered her face with her hands, "Never mind. _You _go through the chest. I'll…" She turned with a mildly desperate frown as her eyes searched for a new location to rummage. "I'll go…" her eyes settled on a door, "to the closet. There _has_ to be something there."

Pan quickly walked up to the closet and opened the door timidly, tempted to squeeze her eyes shut from fear of there being 'too much information' stored away. But as the closet door squeaked open and she pulled the wire on the lightbulb overhead, she was met with a nice organized closet with several racks of clothes neatly piled and hung up. There were two boxes in the corner of it, and Pan quickly grabbed the first one and dragged it out to the center of the room.

She opened the box with mild curiosity, but almost gagged when she was faced with the smell of moth balls and dust which rose in a small cloud.

"Look!" Uub turned to her with a smile and held up a shirt, "This is funny!"

Pan looked up and sneezed, squinting a bit as the sight. She sniffed as her nose crinkled, "What is it?"

"Look!" Uub brought the shirt in front of him, and the sight of it caused Pan to widen her eyes in both surprise and partial disgust.

"Augh! That _creep!_" Pan stuck out her tongue, "That's _disgusting!_"

"Is it flare enough?" Uub looked down to the shirt with a bemused grin.

"It's more than flare. It's just _wrong._" Pan raised an eyebrow and looked at the shirt closely, trying to ignore the fact that a woman's body was painted over the white shirt so it looked like whoever wore the shirt was wearing some thong bikini.

"Look, I found this, too!" Uub held up a neon green visor that reflected the lamplight and made Pan feel sick just to look at.

"Egh." Pan's nose crinkled, "Yup." She looked away, slightly horrified by the clothing, "That'll do just fine."

"There's more! Hold on," Uub once again bent down to tear through the things in the chest as Pan opened the box fully.

Clothes and magazines were now littered all over the hardwood floor, and were even thrown over the bed and bureau. Magazines were tossed over and under chairs, and all kinds of gis were scattered everywhere. There were wigs and costumes and scarves and gloves, not to mention belts and chains and handcuffs, and several sex toys which Uub came across and didn't quite realize what they were. The room was quickly becoming what resembled a war zone. There was no way they'd be able to clean up the mess. It would be obvious that the Tuffles were paid a visit; but at this point, it didn't matter, as long as Pan and Uub gathered enough supplies.

As Pan rummaged through the box, she took out several odd triangle and paper hats, olive-brown oven mitts, purple bowties, several poles and sticks, a few nunchucks, and one especially solid simple red boa in a bamboo case which looked like a high quality weapon, so she threw it onto the bed and continued to rummage through the stuff.

"Aha, look at this!" Uub laughed as he turned around with a neon pink shirt that said _Boobs Are My Friends_ in bright yellow words, outlined in dark green.

"Oh dead Lord," Pan rolled her eyes.

"Oh, oh! Look at this!" Uub held up another shirt, _Girl Scouts Gone Wild._

"What the–?" Pan raised an eyebrow.

Uub held up a third shirt, _I Can Kick Your Baby's Ass_. "Wow."

"Eck!" Pan's eyes went wide as her throat caught, "Hehehahaha!" Her body shook as she closed her eyes and started laughing, "HaHAHAHA! Baby! Hahaha!"

"Hehehhahaha" Uub held it up and turned it around to show the picture that went behind it, "Hahahaha!"

"Heheheh," Pan grinned as she continued to tear through the box. "Heheheh–_Ohhhh!_" Her mouth dropped in surprise and her eyes widened in glee as she came across the goods she was looking for, "Here we go!"

"Huh?" Uub looked up.

Pan held up some shades, "His sunglasses reserve!"

"His _what_?"

"Here, catch." Pan threw a pair to Uub as she unpacked a pair for herself, and in the process, took out two pink leis that had been by the items. "Take this too," she threw the fake flowers to Uub as well.

Uub caught both the sunglasses and lei and donned them with a grin. He then held up a neon yellow Island shirt with patterns of breasts and margaritas splattered over it with _I Got Lei'd on Penguin Island_ on the back. He then picked up the neon green visor and fit it over his hair as he wore a smug smile. "How do I look?"

"Ehhh…" Pan couldn't really tell, as she found it embarrassing to even look at him, "I think it works!"

"Here, you catch." Uub threw Pan the _Boobs Are My Friends_ shirt and a black top-hat. Pan fit it over her damp gi with a chuckle, and adjusted her new glasses so they fit better on her nose.

"No," Uub chuckled, "I think you're still missing something. I am still able to look at you."

"Hmm…" Pan turned and frowned as she thought of more items to add to her array of flare. Her gaze wandered to some of the things she threw aside before, and her dark eyes lit with a hint of mischief, "Yes! Yes!"

Pan picked up a purple bow-tie and clipped it to her collar and then went to the corner of the room where she had thrown a green wig to match her shirt. "Hmm," she turned and then spotted a lavender fluorescent feather scarf thrown over the bedpost. She finished off her outfit with a pair of white gloves and a hula skirt that had been dyed blue in the past.

"Oh _Man!_" Uub gave a nervous chuckle and then hid his face with his hands, "You look _terrible_."

"Really?" Pan tan to the bureau and looked herself in the mirror, frowning as if she were still missing some key ingredient. With a pout unseen behind the glasses, she frowned, "I don't look badass enough."

"Badass!" Uub's eyes practically popped out, "You could give a _clown_ a _hemorrhage_ with that look!"

"Ahh!" Pan grinned mischievously as her eyes wandered back to the bed, "Yes, this will do nicely!" She picked up the red boa and put it around her costume, "There we go!"

Uub, however, frowned slightly as he brought his hand to his chin, "A weapon's going to weigh you down."

"Silly," Pan grinned as she made her way to the bathroom to grab some of Eighteen's makeup, "I'm not going to _fight_ in this outfit! That's why we're wearing this! To go _incognito_, remember?"

Pan opened the medicine cabinet and then resorted to the drawers around the sink, "Now, where could it be…?" She tossed some things outside of the drawers and huffed in a flustered groan when she only came across one shade of red lipstick. "Doesn't Eighteen wear any _makeup?_"

"Who's Eighteen?"

"Hmmph, it figures," Pan tucked the lipstick into a small pocket in her gi belt, "That she wouldn't need makeup, I mean. But… wait…!" Pan came across a vial that caught her attention and caused her to pause. Pan then scrunched her nose and blinked a few times, reading the label about, "Lax-tastic".

"What?" Uub looked up from grabbing a particularly colorful orange cape.

"Interesting…" Pan held the vial up and then turned it around to read its effects on the back. "_In_teresting…!"

He frowned and asked again, "What"

"Ohhhh_, noth_ing…" Pan grinned devilishly as she tucked the vial into her pocket, "Just a little _medicine_ for _just in ca–_"

The door to the bedroom suddenly _SLAMMED_ open and an enraged Master Roshi entered at the door.

Pan shrieked in surprise as she slipped on the bathroom tile and almost fell flat on the floor, except she grabbed the sink and then used it to propel herself forward without a moment's hesitation, "_BUSTED!_"

"Look what you nincompoops _did! _You little _THIEVES!_"

Uub's eyes flew wide as he dropped the snake-skin bandana he had been admiring, "Ack!"

"_Go go go!_" Pan zipped by Uub and grabbed him on the way out the window.

"Get _back here!_" Roshi ran toward them as they jumped and ran their way wildly along the beach.

"Crap! Crap!" Pan screamed aloud as she reached the water's edge, "Omigod omigod omigod!"

"We can't swim in this! We'll lose our props!"

"Crap! We can't _fly_ either!" Pan clenched her fists and ran along the beach as if it could somehow give her more ideas. "Crap! If we fly, _Gohan _will find us!"

"Isn't there any other way?.!"

"Crap, crap, CRAP!" Pan turned and snarled, clenching her fists, "It looks like we're going to have to take him _down!_"

"Isn't that going to alert everyone we're here?.!"

"Crap!" Pan sensed Roshi scrambling down the stairs and reaching the first floor. She desperately looked to Uub and then turned her head to the night sky, willing to take the one chance they'd ever have of escaping the island incognito, "Nimbus! _Nimbus!_"

There was a far cry from Master Roshi as he hobbled along the beach with his cane, screaming at them, "That cloud will _never_ work for you, you little _impostors!_"

"Nimbus!" Pan screamed aloud again and tried its second name, "_Kinto'un!_"

There was a light buzzing in the sky as a light cloud tore its way through the night's black depths and zipped its way over to Kame Island. Within a flash, it appeared before them, happily hovering as the Evil Master Roshi approached with hands glowing with a prepared ki blast.

"Get on, get on, GET ON!" Pan pushed Uub onto the cloud, and he fell with a surprised yelp onto its soft bedding, "Help me up!"

Uub grabbed Pan and hoisted her up, but let out a surprised yelp as she fell right through and landed in the water with a _splash!_

Her eyes widened with a pain that struck deeper than her flesh as her body trembled with a sudden shock and realization.

"Try it again! Try it, you just _slipped!_"

Pan stood up and grabbed his hands, trying again, "Please Nimbus," she prayed inside as a blast went off by her head. "HEY!" She wanted to turn and scream at Roshi, but she felt Uub's hands grab her by the collar of her gi and yank her up as the cloud suddenly tore off to the horizon, zooming at an incredible speed.

As it soared in the sky, away from the island, Uub managed to pull her up onto the small cloud, and to her even greater surprise, and a shock even greater than before, Pan realized with tears in her eyes that it was true – she had only slipped, before. With a slight smile and then a joyful smile at her new friend, she realized Nimbus still believed she had a pure heart.

She was still able to ride Nimbus.

–––––––

"Come _BACK_, you _darn_ _TUFFLES!_" Master Roshi screamed at the cloud, shaking his right hand and the walking stick he still held in it.

There was a rustling in the brush behind him, and Master Roshi spun around with a scowl, "And _YOU! _You ran the _minute_ you found out they were upstairs!"

Oolong poked his head out of the brush with an anxious grin, "Are they gone?"

"Humph!" Master Roshi huffed as he made his walk back to the house, "You didn't miss much."

Oolong frowned as he raised an eyebrow, "Who was it?"

"I don't know. The darn _ugliest_ girl _I've_ ever seen." Master Roshi growled, "She was so trecherous to look at, I couldn't even _aim_ right!"

"Wow!" Oolong came out of the brush and scratched his head, "I guess I really _didn't_ miss much!"

"Yeah…" Roshi frowned, "But she stole my _favorite shirt!_" He paused a moment as he looked off to the horizon, to where Nimbus had carried them to the west, "_And_, _unfortunately_…" he frowned more deeply, "she even made off with the Power Boa…"

––––––––

––––––––

–6/14/05–

NOTE: THIS IS IMPORTANT! As of Tuesday, TOMORROW, Dragonball Z is going to be airing the RE-DUBs on Cartoon Network at 10:30pm each weeknight. Don't miss it! This is the _uncut_ version, people! And a lot of not only new scenes, but entirely new dialogue!

I sure hope they keep some of the corny censorship lines, though, lol. It's classic to hear Nappa exclaim, "And there are their parachutes now!" after he blows up the helicopter X) I wonder what it will be now? Hmmm X)


	59. Porn!

Note: Tried to pick up the pace, slightly. I had a few comments that I've tended to run slow on a few things, and figured, since I, as the rest of the world, really wanna see the end of Baby and get on with the Peacetime Saga, and since there is a LOT more to the Baby Saga to go, I'd move slightly faster. This chapter is a pretty good one. I'm personally very proud of it X)

––––––

CHAPTER 59:  
Porn!

"Shhh!" Pan pulled him behind the corner of the building so he was once again out of sight, "You don't want to get _spotted_, do you?"

Uub just somewhat blinked and gave a wincing smile as he scratched his hair, "Sorry, I just wanted to see how many people there are."

Around the corner from the building they were hiding, thousands of Tuffles were lined up as if waiting for a theme park ride. They all had luggage piled by their sides and were gossiping amongst themselves as if it were any normal day in the world. West City was bustling with traffic and pedestrians and also a great deal of tourists who ventured to the city to get a look at Lord Baby's Capsule Corporation palace and catch the launching of his great spaceships.

The entire city was loud; far louder than Pan had ever heard it. West City had become immensely popular, especially since a great deal of Tuffles migrated to the city considering it holy ground, since their 'lord and master' blessed the city and all its countryside within a fifty mile radius.

There was one thing that was odd about the city, though. Nobody was smiling.

Although they talked and gossiped and some children played on the sidewalks, there was not a single ringing laugh to be heard. However, the paucity of laughter was hardly noticeable; one had to be listening for it to ever notice it was not there; but Pan was very keen to it, wondering what all this fighting was for. In the end, it was hard to remember what she was trying to save; especially now, since she realized it was impossible to _be_ saved.

But she was still determined to not go down without a fight. And, currently, the 'fight' was over at the Planet Tuffle. She would do anything to get there, and was quite satisfied with her idea to go incognito. Although her grandfather was set on being smuggled aboard inside Buu, Pan had already had to suffer that treatment almost a year before, and she refused to ever go inside the Majin again. So here she stood, dressed up with Uub, and looking mighty horrendous, just like she wanted to be.

She was wearing her hot green "Boobs Are My Friends" shirt, her bra stuffed with bags upon bags of peanuts to boost her chest; she wore her blue lei under a hot pink feather scarf which contrasted greatly with the black top-hat she sported over her hot green neon wig and dark sunglasses. Thinking the blue hula skirt may have been a little much, she had decided to trim it to resemble a too-too over her jeans, and it looked masterfully horrendous. Her favorite part of her outfit, however, was the small red boa strapped behind her. It made her think of her Grandpa that way; she knew he had something like this at one point in his life.

Uub, meanwhile, had settled upon braiding his mohawk into dreadlocks and putting his hot green visor under the ratted mess. His pink "I Got Lei'd On Penguin Island" shirt matched the pink lei that trailed down his neck. He wore purple suspenders covered with flower pins, and they clipped onto a bear fur belt he had personally made from their dinner two nights before. The belt had several red ribbons trailing down that added what he called 'spice' to the plain dark gi pants he wore underneath, and he finished off his outfit with a pair of yellow rainboots and dark sunglasses.

"Alright," Pan turned to the three members of her entourage, "I'm going to go over the ground rules one more time."

Uub and Hercule nodded as Buu looked down and began to hop from one foot to another.

"One," Pan held up her right hand with an index finger extended, "We are _not_ to be separated." She brought her hand down and nodded to each in turn, "We must always stay with each other. That includes never closing doors from each other." She peered at them all individually, "And that means _never._"

Hercule winced awkwardly, "What'f we have to go to the restroom?"

Pan pointed to him as if to make her point, "Never."

Uub frowned, "But I don't see why we can't make an exception for that."

Pan spun to face him, growling, "Now is _not_ the time for _modesty_." She pointed to the ground, "And I won't tolerate any closed doors. I want to know where everyone is at every single point in time!"

"Woah," Uub brought his hands up in defense, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry."

"I'm not angry." Pan sighed as she clenched her fists, "It's just that…" She looked down a moment, staring at her feet before she looked up and into Uub's eyes, "We're the last ones."

"The last what?" Hercule frowned, knowing he probably said a stupid statement.

"Non-Tuffles." Pan sighed again as she looked to her grandfather, "We're the last people who can think for themselves." She panned her head to look at each of them, "And I do _not_ want to lose _any_ of you."

"Okay, okay," Uub tapped his foot as he fought the urge to look around the corner again, "What's the next rule?"

Pan nodded to him and continued, "Two," she held up her right hand with two fingers extended, "If we _do_ get separated," she dropped her hand and paused a moment as they looked at her expectantly.

There was a pause then as they watched her. Several wheels were turning in her mind as she was stuggling to say something. Uub frowned at the silence and then spoke as if to complete the rest of her sentence.

"…We go after the person, right?"

"No." Pan shook her head and looked down, "We count that person as lost."

"_Huh_?" Both Uub and Hercules' mouths dropped. "What?"

"You heard me." Pan looked up with a glare, "If any of us, other than Buu, gets separated, we should consider that person a Tuffle next time we see them!"

"Why not Buu?" Hercule frowned.

"Because he can't get possessed. Didn't you say that?" Pan raised her brow.

"But _Pan_…" Uub reached out to touch her shoulder, but jerked it back as she flinched with a scowl.

_"Third!_" Pan thrust her hand out with three fingers extended, "We change our names!"

"Huh?" Uub frowned in confusion.

"Wait, Ah don't remember that rule from b'fore." Hercule scratched his head.

Buu bounced a bit as they all looked at her, "Buu wanna be Candy!"

"Candy?" Hercule frowned at him.

"Buu like Candy! Buu is Candy!"

"Alright," Pan smiled slightly as she nodded to Buu, "We have one alias down."

"Candy?" Hercule frowned again, "That's a terrible name!"

"Then I'll be Cane." Uub grinned.

"And I'll be Corn!" Pan chuckled.

Hercule frowned at them, "Those are terrible names."

"Oh come on, Gramps." Pan chuckled and nudged him gently, "Get a sense of humor. These names are only temporary."

Hercule groaned as he looked down grumpily, "Ah can't b'lieve it! The World Champ havin' to hide under a diff'rent name!"

"And _your_ name…" Pan grinned as she brought her hand to her chin, "… You can be Apple!"

"Augh, _no!_"

Pan laughed, "Then what else would you like?"

"Anythin' but Apple."

Pan scratched her chin again as she grinned while thinking, "Well, how about Cotton?"

Hercule winced, "Anythin' but Cotton, too."

Pan laughed, "Okay Grandpa Cotton!"

"No!"

Hercule stomped his foot as if to make his point, but Pan just laughed and shook her head at his immaturity. A moment passed as they gathered themselves and looked around to make sure they were still alone in the small alley in which they were located around the corner of one of West City's banks.

"Okay now what, _Corn_?" Uub grinned.

"Well, _Cane_," Pan chuckled as she brought her right hand up to comb her short hair, "You all ready to go?"

Uub looked down to his outfit and double-checked his attire. He then looked up to her with a nod and smile, "Sure am!"

–––––––

The crowd was still bustling noisily as they wandered through the masses and made their way toward the ship. Light conversation abruptly ended as they'd pass by and everyone's eyes darted to and fro, some dropping to the ground while muttering harsh whispers under their breath. Others turned their backs to pretend to ignore the ghastly sight as they'd continue their talk in a light and somewhat nervous tone.

A little girl screamed in terror as they walked by; some others ran for their lives. Uub cringed in embarrassment behind his sunglasses while Pan proudly marched ahead, sometimes tipping her top-hat to any wary onlooker. Any acknowledgement she made toward the crowd immediately sent their eyes darting elsewhere. It was actually a slight power trip for Pan, that she'd be able to manipulate peoples' gazes in such a way. Ironically, Pan never felt more beautiful.

"Alright, this way." Pan casually gestured for Uub and a slightly shape-shifted Buu to follow her into the heart of the long line. No matter where they were going to enter it, it would take a long time to get onto the ship. She just hoped her grandfather would be okay roasting inside Buu for a few hours.

"Hey!"

Pan and Uub turned to the voice that came from behind them. "Yeah?"

"No cutting in line, miss! … Er… mister… or… whatever you are!"

Pan blinked a bit and looked down to a short man who stood a couple of inches below her height. He had gray hair and a large mustache, but there was something about him that looked so incredibly _familiar_…

Pan immediately gasped at the recognition and stuttered out, "Kr–! –Crap!" She adjusted her sunglasses and tried her best to hide her face as she suddenly made her voice incredibly high pitched and whiny, "Waaayle! Ahy'm sahrry!"

Uub snorted in a laugh and brought a few dreadlocks in front of his face to hide his grin. He couldn't help but repeat aloud in a highly humored voice, "Saahrry!"

"Well you should be!" The Tuffle man growled as he narrowed his eyes, "I've been waiting here a good forty-five minutes!"

Uub slapped Pan's back and chuckled nervously, "Waayle, _Corn_, Ahy gone thank we'z goin to da _end_ of da layne!"

"Yup yup," Pan began to sweat, "Ayz gone thank that too!"

There was a momentary pause as the man dropped his bags and his eyes bugged, "Corn? Like, _THE _Corn?"

Pan stopped and frowned, "Wha?"

"Like, the _Corn Muffin_, Corn!.?"

Pan was completely lost and tried to avoid a cringe as two dozen eyes suddenly shot toward her.

"Uhh…"

Pan was about to flip. She could hear red alerts going on in the back of her mind as more and more people began to look at her and whisper under their breath.

"Wow!" The man grinned as he scratched the back of his head, "I never thought I'd ever run into a _celebrity_ here!"

"A…" Pan choked, "… ce…lebrity?"

"Yes!" Uub immediately covered and patted her on the back, "But we're trying to keep this, you know, low key. So if you could please keep this _down…_"

"Oh, oh! Right!" The man beamed as he began to sway in his stance, "Wow, my wife would never believe me if I said I ran into _Corn Muffin!_ I have all _three_ of your records!"

"Oh…" Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she tried to swallow, "Really…"

"Wow, I never would have guessed that was you! Wow!" The man nudged her in the side, smirking, "You really had me going there with that whole costume get-up!"

"Shhh!" Pan gestured for him to be quiet as she nervously looked around at all the curious eyes, "_Please _Kr…Kr_eep_ your voice down!"

"Oh, oh, right! Wow!" The man gestured in front of him, "Go ahead and get in front of me. I'd be more than honored to let you get in line! Wow!"

Pan just had to agree with the man there and whispered into Uub's ear, "Wow."

They heard a voice getting louder, coming from the direction of the front of the line and they turned to see a blue haired Tuffle woman in a dark red dress counting off the people who would get on board the ship, "Four hundred fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two…"

The woman was still a ways off, but Pan could immediately recognize her as Bulma. Her first reaction was slight shock and a pang of recognition of the woman, but then it settled in her mind that Bulma was the bitter enemy and the wife of that monster, Baby. Pan narrowed her eyes behind her glasses, feeling a spark threaten to rise within her.

"Four hundred sixty-five, sixty–_Oh!_" Bulma scribbled down her number and then turned to look behind her, as she noticed something, "Oh there you are Lieutenant General Son!"

Pan's eyes widened as her blood boiled. Her eyes settled on a man that walked up to Bulma from the front of the line. That man… The impostor… who murdered Piccolo…

"Good afternoon, Queen Bulma," Gohan bowed slightly in respect, "I see you're running late today."

Pan watched Bulma smirk slightly as she brought the pencil to her chin, "I thought you weren't going to make it. Lord Baby would have been… _displeased_ if you missed another ship."

Gohan's smirk faded to a low scowl as he looked down at Bulma's papers, "Do you need any help speeding things up? I really want to get off the ground as soon as possible."

"Yes." Bulma nodded and handed him the forms, "I want to do some last-minute checks on the engines. If you could cut off the line at five-hundred, that would be fantastic."

"Fantastic." Gohan repeated coldly with a stoic face as he took the papers.

_Shit!_ Pan's eyes widened as she realized who would be approaching her in a matter of minutes.

"That guy looks familiar," Uub's eyes narrowed.

"That's my impostor father," Pan growled under her breath just loud enough for Uub to hear, "The one you saved me from."

"_What?_" Uub clamped his hands on his mouth as he realized his voice had risen loud enough to scare off an elephant herd. "I knew it!"

"Hey!" The little man looked ahead in line and waved like a maniac, "I know that guy! Hey Gohan!"

"Would you _quit it!_" Pan spun on the man and pointed to him, "We do _not_ want to gain any more attention, _got that!_"

"Wow! Yes!" The man cringed as his eyes widened. "Wow, tou-CHY!" He bent over and muttered to himself, _All celebrities are the same!_

Gohan continued to work his way up the line, "Four hundred ninety-three." He looked down at his pencil and then up to the person and asked, "Name?"

Pan saw this and cowered against Uub, "He's asking for names!"

"What are we gonna tell him?"

Buu shifted and took this as his chance to speak, "I like Candy!"

"I _know!_" Pan hissed to Buu and whispered, "You _are_ Candy!"

"Four hundred ninety-four." Gohan scribbled a comment down as he said coldly, "Name."

"Shhh," Pan nudged both of them to be silent as he made his way closer.

Pan took this opportunity to stare at him. He was so close. He was just as close as the time she saw him last, and she felt just as much anger and hatred toward him as the last time as well. He represented everything evil there was in the world.

She remembered him tearing her hair, tearing her bandana, laughing as he hurt her, cackling as he hurt Piccolo. She still saw him thrusting his hand into her wound, throttling her above him as he laughed and spit at her. It was all so fresh, and her lust for revenge just as prominent.

There was only one reason why she didn't just blow up and surprise-attack him right then and there. It was because she knew, deep down inside, that he wasn't the one that she truly hated. She had to save this fight for Baby.

Baby was the reason why all of this happened. And once she killed Baby, she could worry about trivial puppets like her father.

"Four hundred ninety-seven."

Pan froze as he stood merely inches from her, eyeing her down with his cold lifeless stare. She could feel her blood turn to ice before him and felt her breath catch as her body trembled beneath the layers of clothing.

"Name."

"P–C–" Pan stuttered as she stared at him through her glasses, her body frozen in terror.

A giant slap on the back got her to breathe again as she burst out, "P-_PORN!_"

Her voice could have echoed half a dozen times in the center of the city as all voices dropped to a hush and every single eye was on her.

Gohan raised an eyebrow as he tapped his pencil against the pad, looking down at the words on her shirt, "Porn?"

"I-I meant _Corn_." Pan turned beet red as her face flushed and her body trembled from the ultimate embarrassment, "C-Candy, Corn."

"Candy, Corn." Gohan stopped and peered at her for a slight moment. It took everything in her power to keep a straight face under the sunglasses. She felt a bead of sweat form at her temple, partly from anxiety, but mostly from the fact that an inner rage threatened to overwhelm her as his icy glare pierced her own.

Another moment passed as he peered at her, and then he dropped his gaze to his hand and wrote a few notes as he walked a step saying nonchalantly, "Four hundred ninety-eight." He stopped and looked at Uub. "Name." His glance went back to Pan, however, as Uub stuttered.

"Candy… Candy, Cane."

Gohan's suspicious glare then turned to Uub as he noted the dreadlocks and wrote several things on the paper. "Right." He raised a brow and peered at Uub, "Candy, Cane."

His glance then returned to Pan as he moved to Buu, "Five hundred. Name."

"Candy!" Buu's shapeshifted form moved as a blob as Gohan looked at him. He paused a moment and stared even harder as if something were being calculated in his mind. Gohan snorted as he raised another brow and brought his pencil to his chin.

"You remind me of someone."

"Candy, Candy!" Buu pointed to the paper, "Name is Candy, Candy!"

"What a stupid name." Gohan growled a bit as his gaze returned to Pan, his mind still calculating. A moment passed as he glared at her and then he turned and faced the crowd. "Alright." He nodded to everyone, "The line ends here, and from this point we start the 'waiting list'."

"What!" The short man tore at his hair, "But Gohan, you can't do that to me! Eighteen will _kill_ me if we don't make this fli–!"

"_Shut up!_" Gohan suddenly reared back and smacked the man twenty yards until he hit a brick building with a _CRASH!_ Gohan marched over to him and picked him up by the collar, spitting in his face as he talked, "That is _Lieutenant_ _General _Gohan, you _unworthy_ _scum!_"

There was a hush as the dust settled and Gohan released the man. He stood up straight and adjusted his shirt before once again taking the pencil into his hand and glaring at the remaining people in the line, "Anyone _else_ wishing to challenge my _authority?_"

There was a long silence. The entire city fell under a quiet spell for a moment as Gohan's death glare panned over the crowd.

"Good." Gohan walked back to the line with a regal stance. "I would hate for there to be a _death toll_ today."

Gohan continued to walk past the line and stopped, looking at the people who didn't make the cut, "You are _dismissed._"

The crowd behind Pan and company began to slowly disperse as Gohan walked up to her again. But, instead of passing, he paused a moment and looked at Pan one moment longer.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Gohan growled and with a hand faster than sound, he tore his right hand through the air and grabbed her throat.

Pan gasped in surprise at how quick he was, and he squeezed ever solightly as he bared his fangs and narrowed his eyes. There was a gust of wind then, and his hair blew gently as his grip tightened. It was at this moment, it registered in Pan's mind that Gohan was once again trying to choke her. Uub dropped into a fighting stance, but Gohan didn't notice as he snarled into Pan's face.

And before anyone could react, Gohan brought his face so close to Pan's, she could feel his hot stale breath on her cheeks.

"…You're _ugly_."

Gohan then released her with a snarl and spun on his heel to walk back to the front of the line. Pan trembled a bit as she grabbed her neck and gasped more out of shock and surprise than pain.

They watched him walk away and were speechless in a stupor. Uub turned to Pan and said with widened eyes, "That was really close."

Pan growled as she shot her eyes to his and huffed, "I would have killed him."

"Sure." Uub gave a half smile as he nodded to her, "But then how would we have gotten on the flight?"

"Shut up, _Cane._" Pan adjusted her wig with a scowl, "Just be glad I let him live."

Uub chuckled slightly and patted her on the back, "Right."

––––––

––––––

_6/25/05_


	60. The Calm

CHAPTER 60:  
The Calm

It was blue. But even that didn't seem to matter. It should not have mattered. The fact was, it was there. Big, or small, the size was of no significance. It was just _there_, and so therefore, it _was_.

Her mind drifted beyond her body. She had to shape it in her thoughts, to feel it, nudge it, probe it with her vision and then hold it in her thoughts with her eyes closed. It was draining, but she had to focus, to know that it was _there_, and she could move it. It seemed easy enough, at least.

Piccolo had never spent much time teaching her telekinesis, though he always stressed that it was the best and most efficient form of meditation. She could see now that it took a great deal more than a relaxed state. The art of levitating objects was draining on both the mind and body, and was an advanced technique that she could barely grasp around the edges, though she made it her goal to practice the skill so she would never lose it.

So here she was on the bed, focusing everything in her right mind on that goddarn pen that refused to budge from nightstand.

The room they all occupied was rather large and designed like an open suite. Two queen size beds occupied the left-most wall, decorated in purples and reds that matched the maroon shade of the room. The farthest wall was built around a small observation deck with a simple coffee table and four master chairs, each equipped with a seatbelt in case the flight might get rough. All the artifacts on the table were velcroed down in case of turbulence, and the carpet, bureaus and nightstands were lined with millions of tiny air vents that vacuumed air silently but steadily, creating an artificial gravity within the room.

And on top of her left-most nightstand, that pen still stubbornly lay motionless.

Pan closed her eyes again and tried to focus her thoughts on its energy. She probed it, felt it, and molded it in her mind to create an _essence_ of a creation in the universe of which she could feel with her senses.

It all seemed so easy… until she tried to grab it with her mind. Unfortunately, the minute she'd attempt to move it, her thoughts would betray her and she would lose concentration; and the more she tried _not_ to lose concentration, the harder it was focus on the pen.

Perhaps some of her distraction lay in the fact that Hercule was singing in the shower and Buu was sleepily mumbling something on the bed across the room. In addition to that, a fan was blowing a few meters from her, but its decibels were just high enough to make it a fraction louder than white noise. But if she could just concentrate hard enough…

She relaxed her closed lids for a moment and took a deep breath, once again focusing on the pen. She could see it almost vividly, its simplistic detail, the fine lines where the pen maintained its structure. She could feel it, breathe it, and then without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed it with her mind.

The pen wobbled slightly, lifting perhaps a centimeter into the air before one of the small vents threw it off-course and sent it in a slight vector to the right.

Uub had been sitting on the floor, against Pan's bed as he was reading the brochure about the spaceship. The motion above his head caused him to casually glance up for a moment, but it was all he needed to break Pan's concentration.

"Oh _WOW!_"

Pan's eyes flew open in surprise as the pen suddenly snapped in half and ink flew everywhere in parabolas unforeseen in the light gravity.

"Omigod _no!_" Pan tried to duck as a blob of ink smacked into her face and scattered across the bed, carpet, and mostly across Uub's cheeks as he made a surprised yelp.

There was a silent moment then as they both let the situation sink in. Pan stared blankly at Uub as he looked at her in shock. The walls were splattered to no end, and the blue stained absolutely everything. Some of its stray droplets were still suspended in mid-air as Pan brought her hands to her face and smeared some of the ink off dumbly. She looked at her hands and then looked down to the remains of her costume in similar muteness. Her mouth hung agape then promptly shut as she brought her eyes back up to Uub and then seemed to choke.

His eyes beamed at her for a moment as his lips suddenly spread into a large grin and he started to chuckle, closing his eyes as he got louder and louder. Pan followed suit, her laughter elevating to a loud roar as she threw her head back and held her palms up to show how blue they were. "Hahahaha!"

Uub looked down while chuckling and picked up the remains of the pen, "You did, -heheheh-, quite a number on this."

"Hehehe!" Pan beamed as she grinned widely, and closed her eyes happily, "I think it did a bigger number on _us_."

They laughed for a few more moments, mostly out of the silliness of it all; then, Uub wiped his face, smiled to her, and then stood up to look at his palms, "I think we should clean up if we don't want this to stain."

"Yeah."

Suddenly, a voice called out from the steaming bathroom in a low gruff voice, "Don' you come in here! _Ah_'m in here! Ah'll be out when Ah'm ready!"

Pan sighed as she looked down to her ruined outfit, "Man, it's such a _shame_."

Uub laughed as he wiped his face with his already ruined shirt, "No it really isn't. You didn't think we'd be Cane and Corn forever, did you?"

"No." Pan followed suit and wiped her face with her ruined shirt and then stood up, avoiding the ink stain on the floor, to walk toward one of the boxes on the bureau that contained their capsules, "I wouldn't want to be, anyway." She opened the box and looked inside a moment before choosing the capsule labeled "651" and observing it, "The minute we get down to Tuffle, Baby is going bye-bye and we won't need to pretend to be two of this lemmings anymore."

Pan threw the capsule onto the carpet, and it suddenly exploded into a small dresser in which she grabbed her gi, threw it onto the bed and started taking off her ruined clothes, starting with her wig, throwing it inside the dresser as if it were a laundry hamper, "I'm changing."

Uub watched this and stood a moment, only to sit on the bed and turn his gaze to Buu. He sat in silence as Hercule continued his shower and Pan removed her leis and the hula skirt she had converted into a too-too over her pants.

Uub frowned a moment, lost in his thoughts as he stared ahead in his own daze. He sighed once and brought his hands up to grab at one of his braided dreadlocks before looking over to Pan again, "Pan, I–**ACK!**"

Uub suddenly facefaulted off the bed as his face went red with utter embarrassment. "I, I, I'm sorry, I –uh–!"

Pan looked up, frowning, putting her suspenders and shirt away in the small dresser. She stood there topless, blinking in slight confusion as she brought her hands to her belt, "What?"

"I uh–!" Uub glanced again and turned purple as he shielded his eyes and scrambled back to sit on the bed, "It's–uh!– I mean, yeah, ahhh!"

Pan looked down and then up again to Uub with a blank face for a moment before her face softened and she rolled her eyes, "I _told_ you I was changing."

"Well um, uh," Uub looked down and fiddled with his thumbs as his face continued to be a bright, bright red, "_Wow_…"

Pan gave a half-chuckle and shrugged as she removed her pants with a smile, "You're silly."

"I, uh…" Uub continued to stammer as he forced his eyes to look in the other direction out of respect for what should have been her modesty. His eyes fell on the clock, which read an ungodly late time on Earth and then gulped as he tried to find his voice, "Well, um, uh," he coughed "It's late! I think I'll be going to sleep now."

"Aren't you going to wash your face?" Pan frowned as she folded her pants, looking at him.

"No, no, I'm fine! Really! I'll just –uh–," he gulped, "uh, _change_…"

Uub continued to look away from her as he brought his soiled shirt above his head and removed it swiftly.

"_OH MA GOD!_"

Whatever blood was in Uub's face at that moment suddenly drained within a fraction of a second, "Oh my gosh!"

"_OH MA GOD!_" Hercule shrieked again as he stood there with a towel wrapped around his waist, exposing a massive dark hairy chest, "_OH MA GOD!_"

Pan turned on a dime and faced him, "What!"

Uub almost choked when he realized what the situation must have looked like to Hercule, "No! It's not what you're thinking!"

"Oh ma God…"

"No!" Uub stood and waved his arms desperately, "I know what it looks like, but it's not what you're thinking!"

Hercule sprinted into the bathroom and grabbed a towel, which he promptly threw toward Pan, "Git yourself dressed, _NOW!_"

"Sheesh," Pan rolled her eyes as she grabbed the gi on the bed, "I was in the _middle_ of _changing_."

"YOU!" Hercule pointed a finger toward Uub and narrowed his eyes, "You are _not_ to sleep in her bed tonight! And by god, you lil' lecher, Ah dun know if I even trust ya with _Buu!_"

"_WHAT?_" Uub practically facefaulted again, "Hey wait one gosh darn _minute!_"

"_SHUT UP!_" Pan screamed as she finished fitting the gi around her, "_Wow_, you two are so _loud!_" She growled and stomped her foot, "What do you want to do, gain the attention of _EVERYONE _on this ship? You are practically blasting down the walls!"

Uub frowned and pointed his finger rudely to Hercule, "He started it!"

"Why you lil' _lech!_"

"Quit it!" Pan barked as she marched past Hercule and practically cracked the tile floor as she grabbed two washcloths and ran them under the sink, "You two are acting immature and childish!" She walked out of the bathroom and threw one to Uub, "And if we're going to all get along, I suggest we all just _shut_ up!"

Uub could feel the tension in the air that hung on the very threads of all their patience. He moved slowly as he wiped his face then discarded the cloth on the nightstand.

Pan walked up to Hercule and looked up with a mature glare that pierced his gaze. "Get. To. Bed. _Now._"

Hercule nodded dumbly to her and grabbed some clothes from the dresser before stealing another death glare to Uub like a warning shot before the battle.

Uub grabbed a pillow from the bed and settled on the floor above the spot where the now-dry ink had formerly spilled. Pan then climbed into the bed and watched as Hercule settled into his bed next to Buu, who was still sleeping soundly. Buu tended to remind Pan of her other grandfather, Goku, back in the days when he was alive. He was so innocent, ate everything in site, and could sleep though explosions if untouched.

Pan looked down to Uub sleeping on the floor beside the bed, frowned a moment, and then turned off the nightstand light, leaving the large room in darkness except for the billions of brilliant stars that shone from the observatory window.

A long time then drifted by as she found herself unable to sleep. Being in space again, seeing those stars outside, reminded her of everything she had lost so long ago. And thinking of her Grandpa Goku made her once again think of that other person that accompanied her on the trip. Who was he again?

Trunks. That's it. It was Trunks. How could she possibly forget that?

It just… seemed so long ago, it was hard to remember what his face looked like. She could still remember his voice, though, and that favorite bandana he used to wear. She remembered the one time he baked a cake for her, and it was so delicious she could still taste it in her memory if she tried hard enough to remember her fifteenth birthday party.

Her birthday…

How old was she now? She had never really stopped to think about it, but now that she was pondering it, she concluded that she must be at least sixteen. Her birthday had come and gone and she wasn't even aware of it. One year older meant nothing to her at this point. It was just another number on a calendar.

Pan lay there for a long time. And an even longer time. Her eyes glanced to the clock every once in a while to confirm how late it was, but no matter how many times she glanced, she still wasn't tired, even though she wanted to be.

After finally giving up on trying to sleep, she figured it might relax her to reach out with her senses and probe for familiar ki on the ship. She was actually slightly surprised by how many kis she detected, considering the line had been cut off at five hundred before. There must have been another batch of people selected at some other point bringing the number close to a thousand, which would probably explain why there were relatively – she could only guesstimate, not in the mood to count – two thousand people on the ship, including the staff. And Bulma. And Gohan.

She heard a rustling beside her that jerked her from her thoughts momentarily as she once again focused on the room. She saw that Uub was tossing and turning on the ground, but figured he was sleeping, so she stared up at the plain ceiling, noting only the single vent that was near the right corner.

Uub tossed again, causing Pan to stop and look over the left side of the bed to stare at him.

She never really looked at him at great lengths before. She never thought to, actually. It was never one of her principle concerns to stare at someone she barely knew. Or anyone, for that matter. But Uub was different. She knew him – well, she knew _of_ him. But everything she ever thought about him was negative. All her life, all she ever wanted to do was pummel this kid for taking away her grandfather. But when finally faced with him, she realized how much she had matured. She took him in as his own person instead of a symbol of her Grandpa's absence.

Her Grandpa…

Pan sighed heavily as she let her gaze drop slightly as she once again remembered Goku, one of her biggest heroes who met an untimely death. _But at least Piccolo can keep him company_… Pan sighed again.

"What are you thinking about?" She heard Uub whisper, and her eyes darted to his in the darkness, surprised that he was awake.

"I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No, it's okay. I can't sleep very well." Uub turned on his side, still looking up at her, "The vents in the carpet are giving me a draft."

"Oh…" Pan frowned in the darkness, looking down to the carpet and then looking warily up to her Gramps and Buu, "… Well, you can sleep with me if you like?"

"Nah, it's okay. I'm fine here." Uub flushed slightly in the dark trying to get her previous naked image out of his head, "Just need some sleep."

Pan smiled sadly and held out her hand for him to take it, "Come on, I won't bite."

"No, it's fine. I'm fine, really."

Pan frowned as she furrowed her eyebrows and jerked her hand for him to take it, "Come on."

"No, really, I'm fine." Uub then turned onto his back and propped his head up on the pillow. "So why are you still up?"

Pan turned to lay on her stomach and propped her hands below her chin as she looked down to him, "Thinking."

Uub smiled a bit as he cocked his head, "What are you thinking about?"

It suddenly struck Pan as odd then, that she immediately sensed a déjà vu. "About home, I guess…" She looked to her hands as she tried to think of why her words sounded so familiar. "At least, the place I once called home, and people I once considered family."

"Yeah…" Uub frowned as he stared up at the ceiling, "I lost my family to Baby. I know what it's like to lose your loved ones." He brought his right fist to his mouth as if he were trying to muffle something, and then brought it away with glistening eyes, "I saw two of my sisters become Tuffles right in front of my eyes."

"What?" Pan asked more out of reflex than surprise as she looked down at him.

"We were…" Uub closed his eyes, "We were at the well. They had gathered some water and were bringing it back to the house, and my youngest two sisters decided to drink some of it and…" He took a breath as if trying to hold his emotions at bay, "they dropped to their knees in front of me, their eyes glowing some weird red…" He opened his eyes then and looked at her, "It wasn't long until my entire village started acting strange. It was like…" he paused, "It was like all the laughter were sucked out of everyone. Every smile… It was just… gone."

"What did you do then?" Pan frowned.

"I knew something was wrong. Something in their ki wasn't right." Uub furrowed his brow as he looked up to the ceiling again, "So, I escaped to the mountains. I lived off fresh spring water there, survived on my own for several months, trying to understand what was happening." Uub frowned as he paused a moment, "And then I sensed a big battle one day across the globe, and I… I panicked."

"You panicked?"

"Everything that Goku taught me… everything…" Uub grimaced as he clenched his hands together and squeezed his eyes shut, "I couldn't function when I knew Goku was in danger. I just somehow knew… But before I could run off to save him… He was gone. I could sense he was gone." Uub took a deep breath, "It's all my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Pan suddenly snapped fully alert and on the offense when he said that. "What do you mean!" She hissed whispers to Uub, taking care not to wake Hercule.

"I could have made a difference. I wanted to. I did. But after seeing my family… My friends…" Uub looked up to her, "I didn't know what to do. And I didn't think I'd be able to make it in time… I… I don't know what happened. I just wasn't there. And that's what killed him." Uub trembled a bit as he closed his eyes, "Goku was like a second father to me, and I let him down."

Suddenly, dormant emotions slammed into Pan as she remembered the pain of losing her grandfather, of losing Trunks, of losing her father and her mother and everyone close to her. They were dead. Every last one of them. "No!" Pan shook her finger at him and frowned, "Don't blame yourself. If you're going to blame someone, blame Baby. Make Baby pay!"

"And then I sensed your battle." Uub went on as if he weren't even listening to her. "It was months later, but I knew I could help. _This_ time… I would help." Uub looked to her, "And he was going to kill you, Pan. Gohan was going to kill you."

Pan's eyes flared in the darkness as the pain stabbed at her, "You should have killed him. Why didn't you kill him!"

"Because…" Uub sat up then and looked down to his knees, "I won't ever put myself on their level. I'll never degrade myself to be like a Tuffle." He then looked at his hands, "Gohan was no match for me at that point. You had really worn him down; and _I _knew it; and _he_ knew it."

Pan rolled away from the side of the bed and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling once more as she kept a steady face, "Well, you _should_ have killed him."

There was a long silence then as Pan lay there and focused her eyes on the large vent to the right corner of the ceiling, trying to watch a small ribbon blow in the air current, even though it was barely visible in the darkness. Uub still sat up straight, looking at her, watching her with unwavering eyes.

Pan could feel her lids getting heavy, though her battle inside was keeping her awake. It was either that, or the fact that Uub was contemplating something as he watched her, and she was waiting for him to say something.

But he didn't.

After a moment's hesitation, Uub lay back down on the floor and propped his head against the pillow. Pan closed her eyes and continued to see visions of her family, thoughts she had been pushing aside for too long. But as she thought more, she could feel her body's exhaustion catch up to her, and was slowly nodding off.

She was slightly alerted again when she heard Uub ask one last question for the night. It drifted almost timidly in the silence, because he already knew the answer, but he just wanted to make sure.

"Gohan was your father…?"

Pan chose not to answer. Some things were just better left unsaid.

–––––––

–––––––

"Lord Baby," the hologram screen hummed to life and showed a black-clad woman with dark brown hair scowling to the camera. "Lord Baby."

The chamber was large, ovular, and decorated in fine royal fabrics that draped from the tall ceiling, icing its marble halls. One large throne sat at the end, framed by two large columns that stood erect by either side.

Baby scowled as he adjusted his seat against the throne and pushed the button on the left armrest of his chair to display the transmission in full.

"Lord Baby, the express carrier 'Tuffle II', departed 13 hours and ninety-four minutes ago Tuffle-time, has been scheduled to dock in Quadrant 944 tomorrow at eleven forty-seven, Tuffle-time. It is confirmed that Lieutenant General Gohan _has_ been documented in their registrar. If you have any other queries, my Lord, feel free to–"

"–_Shut_ up!" Baby's high pitched growl echoed in the large ovular royal chamber as he glared at the woman who was as dimwitted as a sheep, "You will _immediately_ inform Gohan of our meeting. Prepare the conference hall. I will be boarding the moment you land."

"Sir–"

Baby cut her off by pointing angrily to the holographic device, "Don't you _Sir_ me, you _lemming!_ How _dare_ you show me disrespect!"

The Tuffle woman's eyes widened in fear as she shook her head violently, "Oh pardon me, I meant no disrespect I –!"

"–Inform Gohan of our meeting. You are dismissed." Baby pressed the '_End_' button twice on his armrest and let the image cut itself short.

There was a momentary silence as Baby seethed in his rage. And after he collected himself, he raised his right hand and beckoned with his index finger for his minion to step closer.

"Lord Baby." The Tuffle, Trunks, stepped forward and bowed deeply, "How may I serve you."

"That girl's family." Baby brought his hand to his chin and stroked it with a dark smirk, "I want them _dead_ by the time she returns home."

"Consider it done." Trunks bowed again, more deeply out of respect for his master.

"And inform Colonel Son…" Baby sneered as he watched his puppet dance on the strings he tied, "To make good use of his time."

"Lord Baby," Trunks held his bow.

"And keep both your schedules free tomorrow." Baby's sneer grew as he clasped the armrests of his chair. "You will be expected at the meeting."

"Yes, Lord Baby."

"You are dismissed." Baby flicked a hand and watched Trunks stand up straight then make his way down the ovular hall and out of the chamber. The large doors clanged behind him and ran an echo down the hall as Baby stroked his chin and grinned menacingly at his own diabolical thoughts.

_What are you planning?_ Vegeta cut into his mind and tried to once again fight Baby's control over his body.

_As I said before, I'm going to make you witness the fall of _every_ last Saiyan-tainted stain in this universe. _Baby snickered, _And it's only fitting I should punish Gohan for his failure, yes?_

_What are you going to do to them?_

_It is of no concern to you. _Baby grinned as he tapped the armrest with Vegeta's hands, _but it's guaranteed to make you suffer. _Baby smirked, _And I _want_ you to suffer, you Saiyan_ filth_. I want you to remember _every_ last act, _every_thing that happens._

Baby could feel Vegeta struggling to fight him again. Baby loved when he struggled. The more power Vegeta spent trying to break free, the more Baby preyed on him and grew even stronger. It was a losing situation for Vegeta. There was no way out.

_You MONSTER!_

_Yes, Vegeta,_ Baby snickered under his breath and stroked the armrest of his throne, _yet you have _no_ idea how _monstrous_ I can be._

––––––––

––––––––

–7/12/05–


	61. Monster

Warning: This chapter contains mature content.

CHAPTER 61:  
Monster

As he stood there there, he could see it all perfectly.

He was there again. He could feel his blood rush, his clothes soaked in sweat and mud. He could taste the blood and relished in its flavor. The liquid that composed life so easily brought death. And he could smell it. And it made his pants tighten with excitement.

The power felt so good. He had that power. He _was_ the power, and he knew it; and she knew it; and he was going to _defeat._ He was going to _over_power her. And he could clearly see the fear in her eyes, the desperate gasps of her pathetic...weak...body.

A feeling of pleasure tingled up his spine as he closed his eyes and imagined her screaming in terror and pain, his body thrusting inside her, as he'd laugh and release. He could smell her blood then. And he wanted it. He wanted her blood.

He was jerked out of his daydream as he nicked his cheek.

"Damnit." Gohan dropped the razor and leaned closer to the mirror as he examined the wound. He frowned as a small red droplet formed at the scratch, and he watched it intently, his eyes widening with lust. He brought his right hand to his cheek and wiped the blood from the wound. He looked at his finger a moment in the mirror and then focused his eyes directly on the sight. Another chill ran up his bones as he closed his eyes and ran his finger along his tongue, savoring the sweet substance that granted him such power over life.

He stood there a minute then, before the bathroom sink, observing his body in the mirror. He was clad only in white briefs, though at the moment, they didn't seem to be hiding very much. Perhaps it would be good to take a sho–

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.

At first he wasn't sure if he just imagined it, but he set toward the closet instinctively before he even thought to probe for ki. He grabbed the first shirt he could find – a usual white button-down – and threw it around his shoulders as he buttoned the top few quickly. He didn't bother to find his pants, however, as he put on slippers, and went to the front door of his suite. Getting fully dressed would have taken too much effort.

As he opened the door, bright artificial light poured in from the hallway, blinding him slightly as his eyes adjusted from the dim room. He looked down and saw a short young Tuffle man – barely out of his teens – standing before him with something in his hands.

"Sir! Lieutenant General Son, sir!" The young man bowed deeply and straightened with his eyes focused on the ground, "Your daily coffee! Sir!"

Gohan growled at him as his eyes quickly averted to the white mug in the man's pale hands.

"Give me that." Gohan roughly tore the mug from the man, glaring in impatience as he took a whiff, tested it, and then took a large sip, pulling the mug away and inspecting it closely. When he turned his gaze back to the man, however, he saw the delivery boy had not budged.

Gohan felt slight anger rise in him as he narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice to be a cold menacing blade, "You're still here." It was more a statement than a question, though Gohan was feeling his patience wear thin.

"Sir," the young man trembled slightly.

Gohan could feel it then – the man's _fear_. It emanated from him in a faint aura that fluctuated with the man's increasing heartbeat. An instinctive lust rose within Gohan again as his scowl turned slightly upward to resemble a sneer. He could already imagine the feel of the man's neck, the music of bones snapping, the harmony of screams and the sound of thrashing limbs. The man was _weak_. He had every reason to be trembling. _Especially_ front of Gohan's presence.

"Sir…" the young man began again and bowed again. "Sir, I have a message..."

"Oh?" Gohan nonchalantly took another sip of his coffee, putting on a cold exterior as his mind raced with pleasant sadistic thoughts. He outwardly leaned against the doorframe to look casual, but he was tearing himself apart inside. This was just one big waste of his time. The man should just be grateful that Gohan was in a good mood today.

"Sir," the man began again as brought his hands behind his back and stood up straight, looking just above Gohan, avoiding eye contact, "Something has been happening to Tuffles all over the ship…"

"Something always happens." Gohan took another sip.

"Sir, Tuffles have been vanishing, sir." The man's eyes quickly glanced to Gohan's then danced away just as fast, "There has been talk of some _monster_ on board the ship."

"A _what?_" Gohan's eyes narrowed.

"A m-m-mo–"

"–_Lis_ten," Gohan glared, "you tell your supervisor I don't have _time_ for your little _fairy tales!_"

"It's not a fairy tale, sir! People have been disap_pear_ing, sir!"

"Then why don't you face it _YOURSELF!_" Gohan spit and bared his fangs, "And get the _f—k_ out my sight!"

Gohan stepped into his room and then slammed the door on the young man with a giant _BAM_ that shook the tabletops and caused several things to fly in the light gravity and crash upon the bathroom tiles and the room's carpet. He could hear the hangers in his clothes rack creak as everything settled down, and walked over to the bed and after setting the coffee on the nightstand, he grabbed his pants from the floor, muttering to himself under his breath, "_Im_becile."

His thoughts were cut short, however, when there came another knock to the door.

"_WHAT!"_ Gohan could feel his previously good mood drop dramatically as anger flourished with him. His vision turned red in his fury as he finished buckling the belt on his pants, patted his pockets to make sure everything was still there from yesterday, and then grabbed his coffee mug again, "This had better be _good_."

Gohan stepped up to the door again and swung it open with a _crash_. His eyes glowed red as his nose crinkled in a snarl. When he saw who was _still_ there at the door, his glare intensified tenfold, "_YOU!_"

"Sir!" The man dropped to his knees and prostrated before Gohan, "Sir! I have one more message, sir!"

Gohan felt his temple throb as he snarled down to the man, "You have _ten_ seconds."

"L-L-L…"

"Nine! Eig–!…"

"–L-Lord Baby commands a _meeting_ with you, Sir!"

There was a long pause then, as Gohan's eyes bugged and he almost dropped his coffee.

Gohan looked down at the man with widened eyes and an open mouth. After a few moments, he collected himself and put on a cool mask again as he narrowed his eyes, "_What_ meeting?"

"… After we touch down, Sir. Lord Baby says he will meet you in the c-conference ch-chamber…"

"Oh really?" Gohan nervously sipped on the coffee, doing his best to stabilize his wrist. He had an inkling he knew what Lord Baby intended. He knew Lord Baby was intelligent, and could have easily figured out why Gohan stayed back during their move to the Tuffle planet. But what was Lord Baby going to say when he found out Gohan failed his mission? The consequences were never good.

This was bad news. _VERY _bad news.

Gohan felt his anger soar, his wrath reaching unprecedented heights. All he saw was blood now. All he wanted was blood. He needed it. He wanted to feel it, bask in it, and deliver it like an angel of death.

His bloodlust suddenly took over him. He felt it in his body, the need, the drive to make blood and screams. He wanted to hear screams. He needed it more than anything. He could feel that instinct flow in him, the need to kill. He wanted it. He breathed it.

And looking at the man on his knees before him, he could once again feel that bone-shatter, the neck cracking, the veins ripping. It was as if new life were brought forth from him… a phoenix of destruction rising from the heated inferno of hate and Hell.

He grabbed the man's hair suddenly and yanked the man's head up to look him in the eye. He then pierces the man's gaze with his glare and sneered as a low cackle rose from his chest. He then spoke slowly, as if the man may have a hard time understanding his clear, crisp, ominous words.

"This coffee…" Gohan sneered, "Is _cold_."

And then Gohan poured the hot steaming coffee down the man's shirt. The young man shrieked in terror and agony, but mostly in surprise as the smell of burning flesh rose to their nostrils. The scent was intoxicating to Gohan as he lifted the man by his hair.

And then he could feel the hairs being ripped from the man's head under the artificial gravity. The man sobbed in fear and pain, mumbling through his tears, "S-sir! Sir…!"

Gohan held him up sternly, keeping direct eye contact as he brought his left hand up and gently squeezed on the man's neck. He then spoke clearly and slowly, "You call me 'Sir' one… more… time… and I'll hold _no_ restraint _killing_ you."

Through his sobs, the man tried to shake his head to no avail and closed his eyes instead as his body shook in fear, "Y-Yes… Yes S-Sir!"

"Idiot." Gohan held no remorse as he snapped the man's neck and felt the body go limp in his hands. It wasn't enough for him, though. His body was boiling with intense heat as he concentrated his ki within a split second, channeling it into his palm. Within a heartbeat, an explosion occurred outside Gohan's door, his ki blast ripping straight through the man's neck.

Gohan then dropped the body to the floor and kicked it to make sure it was dead.

"Don't tell me you didn't ask for it." Gohan spit at the body and stood there a moment, contemplating.

With a slight huff and narrowed eyes, he then reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He then singled out a 50 Zenie bill and threw it to the body in disgust, pausing a moment before he growled, "For the _coffee_."

And then he stepped into his room and shut the door.

A moment passed as the hallway was silent. Not a single soul wandered by the site.

And then the door opened one more time as Gohan stepped out and quickly grabbed the bill from the body.

"You're not worth it."

And he slammed the door one last time.

–––––––

_"What was it like?" Pan sat down in her chair and looked to him. "Back there… You said you'd tell me one day. What was it like?"_

_"It… it wasn't me." He looked down to the black wheel and frowned slightly – or at least, it looked like a frown, though it could have been a sad smile, "I still don't know if I'm ready to..."_

_She couldn't hear him then as she tried to remember his face. She could smell his hair; perhaps… though it was so faint, she could have been imagining it._

_Pan sighed, trying to ignore the pang of curiosity that came with a previous question, though she was forgetting what she said, "I understand." And she -did- understand, but she couldn't grasp the complexity of it. The scene was so familiar, though it seemed out of reach._

_"Are you scared?" Pan realized she was dreaming as she looked around and found everything to be out of focus, as if it were behind a lens that was slightly too convex._

_A slightly cold fog drifted between them as they looked out over the stars._

_"It isn't me." He said again, looking to the wheel, "I am…"_

_A moment passed. The scene cut. She blinked – or thought she blinked – and the world shifted and turned black._

"_Where… what?" Pan wandered in the darkness, overcome by grief at her loss._

"_He's gone." A voice suddenly appeared behind her, rumbling with its bass. The voice then began to cackle, its decibels getting louder and louder as the light suddenly phased in and she turned to see her father behind her back, hysterical as he brought his head back in laughter, "Everyone you loved is gone." He cackled to her and sneered, "And they will continue to go."_

"_You don't exist." Pan stepped back, trying to convince herself this was still a dream, "This isn't real."_

"_And Baby will take everyone from you." The Tuffle elite fighter sneered down at her, "And I will make you suffer."_

"_Papa…" Pan summoned up courage to face her fear and stepped closer then, looking him in the eyes. She reached out to touch him, to feel his face. _

_He stood there as she felt his left cheek, smooth shaven and clean, even though the rest of his body was muddy and bloodied. He reached up his left hand and took hers gently, his gaze softening somewhat._

_And she looked him in the eyes, intently, searching for the one that was lost so long ago… searching…_

_And then his hand jerked and SNAP-ped her wrist, shattering her bones into a thousand fragments. Pan screamed in terror and pain as he twisted her broken hand into an odd angle and cackled demonically as Pan continued to scream._

_And she screamed, and screamed, her wrist bleeding, her hand hanging limply, dead to her._

Pan shot up in bed, panting, sweating, trembling beneath the sheets as her heart raced.

The dreams never went away. They were always the same. She kept seeing the scenes in her mind, over and over – a broken record, forever haunted with those nightmares of her past. Although they started differently, it always ended with _him._ And every time, he made her suffer. She'd never get a good night's sleep again.

She needed something to comfort her. And she needed something _fast_.

She sprung out of bed and ran to the capsule dressed, digging through some drawers, and when she found what she was looking for, she unpacked it and immediately dug her hand into the bag, pulling out a handful of nuts, shoveling them into her mouth, eating them as fast as she could.

It was funny; she hated nuts. Even nowadays, while eating them, she could never stand them, but at the same time, she learned to enjoy them, in a twisted way; they actually comforted her. Especially nowadays, she associated them with good memories… memories of a friendship that would never die, in one world or the next.

She would avenge Piccolo. She would avenge Grandpa Goku. She was going to make sure Baby died for putting her friends and family through his enslavement. He would pay for taking everything and everyone dear from her.

That thought was the only thing that was driving her nowadays. There really was not much else to live for.

She shoveled another handful into her mouth and then put the bag away, only feeling slightly better about herself, though not much.

A nice warm shower might cheer her up, though.

She looked to the beds to see if anyone else was awake, and saw Hercule tossing slightly and Uub's legs jutting out from behind the bed, unmoving. She figured they still had a while to sleep. A look at the clock said it was 7 in the morning, though it felt a bit later. She wasn't quite sure how to convert Earth time to Tuffle-time, however. They lived by 50-hour days, or something like that, though the minutes were all thrown off. She didn't really care about their system anyway.

She walked into the bathroom and looked at her face in the mirror. It still surprised her to see herself like this – older, hardened, but mostly… sad. It scared her to see herself look that way, and so she tried to smile to her reflection, though nothing could remove the depression that hung as a veil before her face.

She took a long breath and leaned closer to the mirror to look at her hair. In the few weeks that had passed since she cut it, it had grown rather rapidly. She realized with mild amusement that, at this point, she looked a bit like her mother many years ago before she grew out her hair.

It was actually pretty spiky, which surprised Pan as she felt for her natural cowlicks. When it was longer, it tended to hang more freely, but being this short, it tended to clump, which reminded her of her Grandpa Goku, back when he was alive.

It was hard for her to imagine, though, how he would have looked now. Pan must have grown several centimeters at the least. Goku would have to grow slightly, too, especially since he'd be what? Fourteen now? He'd be going through a growth spurt of his own.

Pan removed her clothes, then, observing her body in the mirror briefly, before she turned to the shower and adjusted the knobs to start a nice warm shower. Testing the water for a proper heat setting, she smiled, as it became the perfect temperature and then stepped in, taking a deep breath as she felt the water drench her skin.

She brought her hands up to her short hair and tussled it a bit in the water flow, trying not to think too much, because all thinking ever did nowadays was bring back painful memories she wished she could forget.

Instead, she concentrated more on her body, looking down and observing herself, how her features had changed. Before her coma, she had been incredibly muscular; Piccolo had trained her body enough to make it rock solid and heavier than normal. But after sleeping for over two weeks, her body atrophied a great deal, and although she still had a lot of muscle, she was a great deal skinnier and lost a lot of strength; at least, compared to before.

But there was something she had now that she never grasped before. And, closing her eyes as the water poured down on her, she concentrated on her inner ki and focused on the energy that had been released the day Piccolo had died. It was amazing… It was there the whole time, but she never noticed it because it was almost like a static that had been there since she was born. Whenever she tapped into her ki, she overlooked it, never even noticing it was there, though it was inside her the whole time.

She grasped it then, but made careful note not to tap into it. It was a power she had never felt before. Was this was a Super Saiyan power was? It may not have turned her hair gold, but it definitely seemed as it if were some sort of connection to higher power. It was a shame she was living in hiding for the moment. She couldn't wait to tap into the power again and experience its flow.

This time, with that power, and without a gaping hole in her abdomen, she could do some severe damage. At least enough to take down Gohan, hopefully, if she never made it to Baby.

Perhaps Buu could help out, too. She knew he took a vow to never hurt anyone again, but there had to be some exception. _Something_ would have to trigger him to fight against Baby…

Buu…

Pan rubbed her hands through her short hair again, then stopped short.

Buu!

"Oh my god." Pan washed the shampoo from her hair with a quick rinse and slipped on the bathtub, _CRASHING_ down as she tried to scamper out of the shower, "Buu!"

"Huh?" A groggy voice came from the other room, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"BUU!" Pan ran into the room, still dripping wet, the shower still running in the bathroom, "Where is Buu?" Her eyes scanned the room again, "And…" Another fear panged her chest, "Where is _Gramps!_"

"_Huh?_" Uub shot up and looked to the empty bed, "He's not with _you?_"

"Not with _ME?_" Pan fumed as she snarled, "Where do you think _I've_ been!"

"Did you see him leave?"

"_No_, I didn't see him leave! Obviously if I saw him _leave_, I'd know where he _went!_" Pan stormed back into the bathroom, "Shit!" before turning off the running shower. "We have to get dressed."

Uub yawned as he stood and then sat upon Pan's bed, groggily running his fingers through the messy day-old dreadlocks. "Oh _man_…" Uub tried his best to unbraid one strand that hung from his head, "My hair is so _messy_…"

"Get _UP!_" Pan threw her towel at him as it _whacked_ against his head. He didn't even bother to turn around now, learning from his past mistake.

Uub yawned again and stretched as he stood up, staring out the observatory window, looking at the stars beyond. The pitch-blackness of space threw off his body clock, "What _time_ is it?"

"Maybe you don't understand!" Pan threw on her gi and tightened the belt, "I told him _not_ to separate from us! And first Buu left, and now my Gramps!"

Pan stepped over to Uub and then grabbed the damn towel from the bed, rubbing it against her hair to try to quickly dry it.

Uub took the risk of looking to her before frowning and cocking his head, "How long as he been gone?"

"I don't know! I was in the shower. He could have left at any time. My shower might have awakened him! What was he thinking, leaving! What was _Buu_ thinking!"

"Maybe he went to go find something to eat?" Uub stood and walked over to the dresser, "Or maybe he was feeling a little cramped?"

"I don't know." Pan made her way to the door and grabbed the key card before grabbing the handle. As she opened the door, she spun around to glare at and point her right index finger to him, "Stay here."

"What?" Uub frowned as he unfolded his gi, "Where are you going?"

"Stay here!" Pan left and the door closed behind her.

"WAIT!" Uub ran to the door and tried to figure out how to get it open, "Where are you going! You said we can't split up!" Figuring out how to turn the handle, he opened the door and saw her standing before him.

Pan pointed to him with a death glare, her eyes narrowing, "You. Stay. Here."

"But–"

"Pack everything up." She kept her voice low, "We have to prepare for the worst."

And then, just like that, she was gone.

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–7/24/05–


	62. His, Her, and Their Circumstances

NOTE: This chapter has given me grief, yes, and this chapter has _especially_ given _you all_ grief. Trust me, I've been just as upset about this chapter as all of you have, so forgive me if I rush the transition plot and get it over with, because, with this being the _TWELFTH TIME_ attempting to write this, I've lost my patience, and I just want it to end. Things will be much easier after this chapter. This is the last of my 'awkward transition' chapters, so bear with me here. It has a LOT of stuff in it, mostly because all of this has to get out of the way in order for me to progress forward, and every time I'd attempt to write this, I'd get discouraged from the huge agenda and/or workload.

Therefore, I'm compressing all the transition stuff into one EXTREMELY JUMPY chapter that deals with Gohan, Hercule, Goku, Pan, Uub and Buu, Bulma, Piccolo, and you name it. They're in here.

CHAPTER 62:  
OMFG I FINALLY UPDATED

Real title:

Everything, Compressed, That Would Normally Have Bored the Crap Out of You

No, really. The real, real title this time -grin- :

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CHAPTER 62:  
His, Her, and Their Circumstances

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The carpet of the long corridor muffled the sound of Lieutenant-General Son's footsteps as he half-casually strode along, his legs working at a mild pace as his mind was focused on inner contemplation. His face was stoic as he looked down to the roster in his right hand; his left was lightly brushing the light blue wall, causing an almost-imperceptible hiss of friction.

Gohan's tight lips almost turned to a frown as his eyes continued to scan the list, but failed to read the content; instead, his mind was focused on what that rotting rat had to say to him this morning – something about a monster of sorts on the loose.

The truth was, in order for the guy to work up the guts and interrupt his morning coffee with news of some disturbance on the ship, there must have been something truly dreadful going around. However, Gohan had checked on every passenger on the ship, and had affiliates see to all the catering services. Nothing could have gotten on the ship unchecked, so the reality lay in the unlikely hypothesis of an alien hijacking the ship, or in the very probable possibility that this 'monster' was a passenger who was playing a prank on the ship, and Gohan would see to it that this person would not get by unscathed. At the very minimum, his or her actions would be punishable by certain death.

As for the monster, Gohan could only think of one particular crowd that pushed his buttons. And, as for them, he did _not_ care much for the sorry excuse for a pop singer, that Corn Candy rat and her sidekick, Ugly Boy, or whatever his name was. Gohan brought his left hand away from the wall, licked his thumb, and flipped some pages on the roster, forwarding to the end of the list. As he read his notes, his mouth threatened to frown again

_#497: Candy, Corn_ – _Green hair, hides her eyes. Suspicious character; claims to be Corn Muffin. About 5', passable as a teenager, but appears in mid-20s. _The following member of the Candy party was just as suspicious: _#498: Candy, Cane – Dark skin, quiet, shoulder-length dreadlocks. Appears to be related to Passenger #497 and #500. #500: Candy, Candy –_

Gohan stopped in mid-stride, and lowered his eyebrows as the numbers flashed through his eyes again _498, 500. _There was a blank spot beside 498, as if he had forgotten to include someone. #499 was missing. Missing, as in… there could potentially be one _additional_ passenger on this ship, due to his _own negligence_.

"Shit!" Gohan sneered as he rolled the papers and turned to smack them hard against the wall. How could he let something like this happen?.! He was a professional, and this math was so basic, he felt like a stupid _Saiyan _again – curse that word!

Gohan stood a moment, looking down the corridor through which he had been heading, then looked down to his pocket and pulled out a walkie talkie, holding back a mild snarl. Pressing the right-most button with his right thumb, he kept his eyes glued straight ahead as he made his formal announcement: "Lieutenant General Son to Cockpit. Inform Queen Bulma of a Roster discrepancy. Currently researching the problem. Arrange meeting in 5 minutes; Possible stowaway."

If there _was_ an extra passenger on this ship, Gohan would be the first to know.

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Hercule stuck to the walls and alcoves of the hallway, proceeding timorously, with shaking hands. "Buu?" Hercule frowned as he quickly shot a glance down the hallway, "Buu?"

His whisper was hardly anything of the sort. His breath came out so ragged and harsh, his whisper sounded like metal scratching on metal. His chest was almost sore from his pounding heartbeat. "Buu!"

Taking a deep breath, he tiptoed to another alcove before permitting himself to exhale. His fingers clung to his shirt as he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall by one of the cabin doors. "Darnit, Buu! Where'd ya run off to?"

Two voices down the hall caught his attention and made him freeze against the wall. "Oh no! Oh no, Ah gotta hide!" Hercule pressed himself further against the wall and desperately felt along the edge for some button to press. Finding none, he plastered himself against the doorway and hoped to all Kais that nobody would look his way.

A mumbled male voice began to increase in clarity as it came closer "… to see. I was thinking of checking all the rooms…"

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"Wouldn't you need a warrant?" Bulma frowned to Gohan as she walked beside him down the hall.

"Pardon me, Queen Bulma," Gohan turned his right, to look at her, as they walked, "but as I understand it, I _AM_ the warrant."

"But I wouldn't want our Tuffles to feel as if their privacy has been violated, especially so close to the landing. Why not just put it off until everyone gets off the ship?"

"But by then it may be too late." Gohan narrowed his eyes in mild retribution to himself, "The stowaway could escape by the same means as he or she managed to board this cruiser." He put on his most serious face as his cold gaze pierced hers, "And I don't want to contaminate our new planet with anyone, or anything that is... unwelcome."

"Lord Baby would…" Bulma turned her head to look to Gohan, as they were passing another alcove, and saw a rather familiar, but unsightly man sprawled against the doorway. She blinked in mid-sentence, shook her head, and looked to Gohan as they continued to walk, only mildly distracted, "Lord Baby would handle any uninvited guest, let me reassure you. Besides…" Bulma raised her left hand to look at her perfect Tuffle nails, "I've heard something rather disturbing on your part."

"Oh?"

"Let's pray this isn't true. You did succeed in slaying the Saiyan, am I correct?"

Gohan almost missed a step as his blood turned cold. He made no response as he continued to walk, at a slower pace.

"…Because, if that is true – and I pray it is not…" Bulma brought her left hand up to straighten the left side of her hair, "I may assume this stowaway monster should not be the main of your concerns."

"We'll see."

Bulma turned her head forward, but kept her eyes on him, to her left side, as she smirked slightly, "Our Venerable Lord Baby does not take failure lightly."

Gohan stopped and turned to her, then, coming dangerously close to narrowing his eyes at the queen. Something else caught his attention, though, as he looked down to the floor. He tensed a bit, as if sensing something that may have triggered a somewhat violent response if not in front of such respectable company. Then, he took a moment to steady his composure and fake a confident smirk as he sucked in both his ego and patience, and bowed deeply to Lord Baby's wife. "Rest assured, Your Highness, that I, as well, am not one to accept failure. I have merely been detained, but the Saiyan's death is inevitable."

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"I'm… I'm…"

The air seemed particularly hot this one morning as Goku wiped some sweat off his forehead with his right arm.

"I think I'm _dying_ you guys," Goku sniffed a bit as he lifted another large boulder, "I don't know if I can _take_ this anymore."

"Oh quit your blubbering and hurry up so I can get my tea!" Ancient Kai scoffed a bit as he put down his naughty magazine and huffed to Goku, "And you haven't even been working that hard! Three days is nothing for you! I think you're becoming a regular _slacker_, just like Kibito!"

"Hey!" Kibito Kai looked up from the chess game he had been playing with Suguro, "It's not like _you_ do anything, _either_."

"No… I…" Goku dropped the boulder and fell to his knees, "I… I'm… I'm…"

A large _growl _suddenly shook the Kai's planet as they all flopped back in both a stupor and disgust.

"That's _impossible_, Goku!" Kibito brought his hands to his face in disbelief, "You _just ate_."

"No." Goku winced as he sat down beside the boulder and groaned, "It's not that. I mean _yes_, I'm hungry, but that's not it at _all_."

"What?" Everyone, even Piccolo from under a large tree, looked up to Goku as he began to rub his tailbone.

"It's my back." Goku frowned, "Well – no – it's my _lower_ back. It's just so… I'm so _sore_."

Piccolo huffed a bit as he smirked slightly, his halo glinting a bit in the source-less sunlight, "Looks like you're finally getting _old_, Goku."

Goku blinked to him and looked down to his 14-year-old hands and feet, "I am?"

"No." Piccolo gave an inaudible groan and rolled his eyes, "I was wrong. You're still the naïve little kid you always were."

"Hey, you take that back. I'm _not _little!" Goku stood up against the rock with a scrunched face and then put up his fists, directed to Piccolo, "And I could still beat you in a spar, too!"

Piccolo smirked as he stood up then, "Even with your failing _back?_"

Goku grinned widely and patted his chest confidently, "I could beat you _without_ my back!"

"Augh, idiot." Piccolo rolled his eyes and then put up his fists as he got into a fighting stance, "You're on."

"No!"

Goku grinned widely as he stretched his arms and rubbed his hands together, in preparation for a battle.

"No! No! No!" Ancient Kai stood, waving his hands with a desperate scowl, "You can't battle here!"

"Oh _shut up_ Old Kai!" Piccolo turned to the Kai with a snarl, baring both his fangs, "You've been having me sit here doing _nothing_ for _weeks_ while all Goku is doing is lugging around rocks and weeding your damn _garden!_"

"He's _trainin_g"

"You call this _training?.!_" Piccolo walked toward him, towering over the Kai with a menacing scowl, "I'll tell you something about training." Piccolo folded his arms and looked, hard, down to the Kai, "_Training_ is when you take a battle _seriously_; when you focus your inner chi and outer strength in a balance you would only _dream_ of achieving by just sitting there and reading dirty magazines!"

Piccolo pointed to Goku, still keeping his eyes glued to Ancient Kai, "His granddaughter _trained_. I made sure she _trained_, learning _every_ move I could teach her. I taught her _everything_ I knew, _every last_ bit of wisdom I could muster! And _you_…" Piccolo took a step back, as if to measure Ancient Kai for size, "You keep telling us about your fifteen generations of nonsense, of what your best Kai friends used to do while _dating_, while Goku _mows your lawn!_

"_This_…" Piccolo turned around, waving his arms as if to include the whole world in his statement, "This is a _joke_." He turned on his heel, and marched over to the crystal ball that lay beside Kibito, who was watching him along with everyone else. "_This_ guy," Piccolo pointed to the white ball, "This guy… Baby… He's _not_ a joke. He's taken _everyone_. Don't you get it?" Piccolo turned to Goku, "He's taken _Gohan_, Goku. Maybe that still hasn't registered in your head! He's taken all your friends, family, and planet, and now he's going take Pan, Goku. He's going to take _PAN!_"

"It's going to be alright, though." Kibito stood up and walked to Piccolo, with a concerned face, "When Goku comes in, we'll all find a way to defeat thi–."

"–You keep saying that!" Piccolo growled and spun to look at Ancient Kai and then Goku, "But it's all empty words. I…" He made a fist, and looked down to it, seething in face, "I trained Pan for _nine _months, Goku. Nine entire months, thinking _you_ were her _lifeboat_. And you've been playing your stupid little rock-hauling games and _YOU_!" Piccolo thrust his right hand to point at Ancient Kai, "_You_'ve been drinking your _cappuccinos_ and _herbal teas_, while everyone is _dying_, or suffering inside their own prisons!" He narrowed his eyes and turned to look at all of them, briefly, "You're all just a bunch of fiddlers while West City burns!"

"Fiddles?" Goku looked around.

"Look at that." Piccolo gestured to Goku as his gaze pierced Ancient Kai's, "Fifteen generations of wisdom, and your product is a _little kid_ who still thinks he can _fight_ _without his__ back_."

"I never taught him that!"

"You never taught him _anything!_" Piccolo shouted out in frustration and threw up his hands, "So that's _it!_ That's _IT!_ _I'm _taking over."

"Hey, hey, hey." Kibito shook his head and waved his hands, "Not good."

"Come on, Goku, let's spar for real, and screw these bums."

"Not good, not good!" Kibito continued to repeat himself as he waved his hands, "Elder Kai? What should we do?"

"Well…" Ancient Kai put down his magazine and slowly stood up, with his arms crossed nonchalantly. "I guess…" He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened his right a tiny slit to peer at Piccolo, "I first want an _apology._"

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, "I'd sooner rot in H–."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Kibito came between them with a nervous fake smile, "You two…" he faked a chuckle, sweating slightly, "Always joking now!"

"What is this!" Ancient Kai narrowed his eyes to Piccolo in return, "I remember the day when you revered me! Now I get _no respect!_ No respect, I tell you!"

Piccolo snarled down to Ancient Kai, "You're deluded if you think you _deserve _any."

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"You forget whom you are _talking _to!"

"You deserved to have been put away in that sword! My GOD, I would have put you away, _myself_, if I had the chance."

"How _DARE _you! That's _IT!"_ Ancient Kai raised his hands, "That's a _one-way ticket_ to–"

"No! No! Hey!" Kibito stepped in front of Piccolo, laughing nervously, with his hands up, "You know, I think we're all getting a little bit of _cabin fever_, hmm?"

Ancient Kai narrowed his eyes, "Out of the way, Kibito."

"But Venerable Elder…" Kibito scratched his face, sweating profusely, "Goku may be ready for the final _training_, sir."

The old Kai furrowed his thick white brow, "What final training?"

"Heh… heh…" Kibito brought his eyebrows up in a frown as he faked a chuckled and then got a very serious face, determined, with hard eyes, to get his underlying meaning across, "_You_ know… the '_training_'."

"Oh!" Ancient Kai blinked as another thought came to his head, "Has he finished my tea yet?" The elder Kai blinked a moment, and looked around in a sort of blank stare, "Wait a minute, when did I get up?"

"Just sit down, Elder Kai, please." Kibito faked an overly exaggerated smile as he gestured to the magazine on the grass. As the elder Kai made his way back to his former seat, Kibito turned on a time to face Piccolo, with inner rage being displayed quite prominently on his face, "Come with me."

"This is unbelievable." Piccolo shook his head, "If I would have wanted a soap opera, I would have traveled down to H.F.I.L."

"Imbecile…" Kibito hissed under his breath, "You almost got _sent_ there. You need to remember your place with Elder Kai." Kibito watched as Piccolo opened his mouth to say something, but he cut Piccolo short with a hand, "I _know_ he can act absent-minded sometimes. Believe me, I'm going to have to live with this guy for as long as I'll be Supreme Kai, and I'm not happy about it either, though he means well."

"He's gotten nothing… NOTHING do–"

"–I know, I know…" Kibito Kai winced a bit as he kept himself from glancing behind him, "But you have to trust us that we _do_ have a plan, and until then, watch your mouth, because Elder Kai tends to get a bit… _grumpy_ in his old age, and," he sighed, "he has every ability to make your life _and_ death _miserable._"

"Listen," Piccolo scowled as he looked down to Kibito, stealing glances to Ancient Kai between phrases, "Whatever this training is, has to start _now_. Pan is down there, on her way to that Tuffle planet, and she's going to take on the entire army alone."

"But she can–"

"–No she _can't!_" Piccolo restrained himself from grabbing the Kai by the collar, "Just Gohan, himself, managed to bring her _this close_," he put up his right four fingers and indicated a centimeter or less between his thumb and index, "_this close_ to joining me on that day."

"But she also has Buu on her side."

"Buu!" Piccolo snarled, "That pink pile of blubber gets by because he _can't_ _die_, _not_ because he can _kill_."

"And there's also that boy – Uub, I think his name is."

There was a pause between them as Piccolo glanced over to Goku who was resting against the boulder, and the two green beaver-looking shapeshifters who were sitting over the chess board. The pause extended a bit as Piccolo breathed in heavily and looked down to the grass by his feet.

"Pan…" Piccolo started, his voice calmer and lower now, "She's in this alone."

"No she's not, Piccolo. Goku's going, too."

Piccolo looked over to Goku again, who was rubbing his behind with a sore look on his face. "Train him, or I will, but Goku's not _nearly_ ready to face Baby right now, _especially_ with a back problem."

"No, no," Kibito's face suddenly brightened into a smile as he shook his head, "It's a good thing he's sore, Piccolo. I think he may be ready for what we intend to do. You won't have to wait much longer."

"What?" Piccolo frowned in confusion.

"Suguro!" Kibito left Piccolo and walked back to the chess board, where Suguro and Shusugoro were chatting amongst themselves. "What say you? How about a nice session of shapeshifting."

Suguro looked up with a blink, "Hmm?"

Kibito grinned as he gestured to the board, "Do me a favor, and I'll give you a rook."

"A whole _rook?_" Suguro looked down to the game in which he was losing, and badly, "What do you need?"

"Well…" Kibito looked over to Goku, and then quickly to Piccolo, before returning his gaze to Suguro, "How is your experience with… say…" he grinned, "…_pliers?_"

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Pan panted deeply as she made her way through the hallway, reaching out for any familiar ki signals. She needed to find Hercule, but his ki was so weak, she could barely detect him, especially since there were so many people on the ship. Including all the staff, there came close to 700 or 800 passengers, though Pan was in no mood to count. She, instead, was cursing to herself about how she let her grandfather get away in a moment of stupidity. "This is insane," Pan muttered several profanities under her breath as she turned down corners and dove in alcoves, "This is just begging for trouble."

Her senses immediately jolted when she sensed a faint trace of an all-too familiar ki just two floors above her. "Shit." Pan glued herself to the wall, sensing if anyone was coming, "He's close." Pan immediately suppressed her ki, for fear of being sensed.

For a minute, she paused, slowing her breathing, closing her eyes, and trying to sense to what direction his ki might be moving. When it made no sudden movement, she figured she was safe. Having come so far, it would be disappointing to have to run into him. However, running around the hallways was no way to prevent herself from being spotted. She didn't want to have to give up on Hercule, though. She had to find him; she just _had _to… or else she'd have to consider him lost, as a Tuffle, and do everything in her power to avoid being caught. There was no telling what they'd do to him. And, he was nowhere to be found. Hercule had just plain vanished, and Pan was suddenly put between a rock and a hard place – both abandoning him and re-adopting him into the party now seemed like terrible choices.

"Why did you do this, Gramps?.!" Pan sighed and pulled her short, thick hair. "Shit." She looked up once more, just to check any movement on Gohan's part, and began to sprint back to her room. It was unsafe to stay there anymore. They'd have to find a new place to hide.

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"Are you sure?" Bulma looked to the floor as Gohan froze for the second time.

"Yes. I'm positive."

"Then we need to set off the security alarms. I can't have her contaminating this ship."

"No." Gohan looked to Bulma with determined eyes, "I have already pinpointed her floor. And, judging by the room assignments, I can almost guarantee I know what party she's with." Gohan smirked slightly, "I would prefer to give her a clean kill and not disturb the others on this ship."  
"Well, then…" Bulma smirked back to him, "It looks like you'll finally have the chance to follow through with your mission after all, Lieutenant General. Can you trace her movements?"

"No. Piccolo has taught her to hide her ki well," Gohan looked to Bulma with a half-grin, "But I hide mine better. Unless the Namek were able to teach her how to sense the energy of shifting air particles, there's no way she'd ever be able to sense me."

"Are you sure about that?" Bulma mused.

Gohan nodded with a dark grin, "As sure as I am that Lord Baby shall rule forever."

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"Uub!" Pan shot through the door and slammed the panel to automatically shut it "Uub, where are you?"

"Hmm?" Uub sat up in the bed farthest from the dark window and rubbed his eyes, "Did you find him?"

"What are you doing, sleeping? It's been five minutes! Get dressed."

"Huh?" Uub frowned as he swung his feet off the bed.

"I said get dressed." Pan grabbed some clothes from the pile on the floor and threw them to him. "Now."

Uub blinked and then got a very stern look as he frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Gramps is missing," Pan threw some clothes into the capsule cabinet, "Buu too."

"Yeah, I thought we had established that," Uub yawned as he stood on the carpet, his feet making a slight suction noise as the air vents provided simulated gravity against his skin.

"They're not coming back." Pan kept a steady face as she rapidly walked to the bathroom to gather the toiletries.

"What do you mean? Were they captured?" Uub grabbed his gi and threw off the shirt he was currently wearing. "They weren't _captured_, right?"

"I told him. I _told_ him!" Pan threw everything into a bag and wandered out to the main room, "I _told _him that I –_Ahh_– I would co-consider them Tuffles if they wa-wa-wan-wandered off," Pan had to look away from Uub's bare chest, feeling extremely hypocritical on her part. It was one thing to be used to seeing a Namek's body, but something about seeing Uub's chest made her tense and her heart skip a beat. She had never felt that way about anything before. Although she merely assumed it to be a fluke, she couldn't help but manage a slight blush.

Uub, himself, was blushing as well as he finished putting on his gi. "S-so where are we going?"

"I don't know," Pan threw the bag into the capsule and checked under the beds for any remaining materials, "And get your ki down!"

"Get my what?"

"Your ki!" Pan looked up to him, with all seriousness in her face, "He'll sense you."

"Who? Buu?"

"No! _Him_." Pan wanted to spit instead of say his name out loud. The _thing_ that walked around in her father's shell was too close for comfort. She paused a moment, trying to locate it, but found, in her hysteria, she couldn't calm down enough. "And keep your voice low." Pan pressed the button on the capsule to collapse it, and placed it safely inside an inner gi pocket. "We may have to fight our way out of here."

"Now?"

"No," Pan looked around to see if there were any other place to make their escape. The hallways were too risky, and there was still that chance that Gohan may have felt her ki. She didn't want to test her luck. Looking up, she noted the same air vent she had seen the night before. A dark ribbon hung from it, showing air movement flowing _from_ it. In order to travel by it, they'd have to fight the air current in zero gravity. That part would not be the problem. The biggest concern was how to get up there in the first place without giving away their escape route.

Uub followed her gaze upward, and centered his vision on the vent as well, "Do you want to travel by that way?"

"Here," Pan looked around, and ran back to the bathroom to grab a towel, "Grab that chair," she pointed to one of the dinette chairs by the glass window to space.

"This?" Uub walked up to the chair and tugged on it, "I can't. It's nailed to the floor."

"Then _de_-nail it or something." Pan walked up and tugged one of the other chairs.

"I don't know, Pan. I don't feel right destroying this table set. I mean, I don't really have the money to pay for the rep–"

"–Here we go!" Pan ripped the chair clean out from the carpet and held it above her head, "Alright, mission one over with! Next…" Pan moved below the vent area and stood on the chair, frowning a bit, "Still too short."

"Need me to lift you?"

"Yeah, that will help. Thanks." Pan stepped onto the bed as Uub stood on the chair. Alright, how are we gonna make this work?"

"I'll get you from your waist, if you like. I mean, if you don't mind," Uub managed a second blush for the day.

Pan gave a quick smile, and turned around for him to lift her. When he did grab a hold of her, his grasp was firm, and strong, yet incredibly gentle to the touch. She hadn't felt hands like his since… since her own true father had held her, years ago. It was amazing, for that brief moment, how just a touch brought back a wave of nostalgia and deep emotions she had been containing for so long. However, the brief flashback only lasted a split moment, as he hoisted her into the air and held her firmly, so she could reach the vent.

"Wow, you're… You're heavier than you look!"

"Oh, shush," Pan grinned as she pushed up the vent, feeling a strong draft of air pushing her down. She threw the towel up, and then, grabbing the edges, hoisted herself up against the strong warm current, pulling herself into the rather cramped vent.

"Okay, I'm coming up too."

"No, wait," Pan shook her head and signaled down to him, "Put the chair back, so nobody knows we moved it."

"Right." Uub carried it over to the table again, and settled it back into place. "Now how am I going to get up there?"

"With this, silly," Pan grinned and held down the towel for him to climb, "Now nobody will ever know where to find us!"

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"Alright men, when I count to three."

The whole local squad was outside the door, now. Word had traveled fast that this was the place, after all. They would catch this thing, no matter what.

"One… two… _THREE!_" They broke down the door, hurling full-force into the room with their tazer guns. As two of them rolled out from the pile, they stood up, armed and ready, but no one was there.

"Sir. Private, sir, I don't see any– _ahhh!_"

Pink zaps went through the air as the giant Majin hurtled from the tops of the giant kitchen's cabinets and swung from the large crystal chandelier, tearing the whole appliance out from the wall from his enormous weight. Everything, from the chandelier to the cabinets, crashed down in the kitchen as Buu jumped forth and zapped even more of the soldiers, "Haha! Tuffle candy _good!_" Buu laughed and danced in a circle, watching all the enemies turn into convenient bars of chocolate.

"Sir!" Some of the men retreated with walkie talkies, screaming commands via the radio, "We've cornered the monster, sir! Throw the alarms!"

Several of the men piled by the alarm while one threw the switch, which in turn caused the whole ship to erupt in one giant siren "_WAAAOOOOOOOOOWAAH"_ that resonated through all the chambers and hallways of the space cruiser.

Several shouts came from down the hallway, and chaos broke out everywhere in the B Sector of the ship. However, the more Tuffles that came to put an end to the alien stowaway, the more met a most ironically sweet end.

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The alarms went off right as Gohan made his way to the door that housed Passengers #497 through #500, including the missing #499 he had sensed earlier. With his master key card, he swiped it once, and did his best to put on a casual pose when the door opened. He would love to see the looks on their faces, seeing him stride inside.

However, as the doors opened, the room was empty, save for two unmade beds.

"That's impossible." Gohan snarled as he strode into the room, checking in the bathroom and under the beds, "They couldn't have vanished." He looked to the floor for any clues, and then shifted his gaze upward to the bare ceiling. Nothing was there.

Placing the key into his left uniform pocket, he once again strode through the empty room, though the bathroom was still damp from a former shower. It was obvious that whoever had left, had left quickly, though it made no sense as to how she may have sensed him coming. Even the alarms would not have given her any forewarning, and there was no possible way she could have wandered far enough for someone to pull the alarms on her. Everything made no sense.

Breathing deeply, and rubbing his throbbing temple, Gohan walked up to the window, looking out to the vast space filled with stars. As he rubbed his forehead, he tried not to imagine what Lord Baby would say when he found out Gohan accidentally let the Saiyan not only get away again, but now run loose on the ship.

She had to be stopped. Great Lord of Tuffles, even if he had to blow up the entire ship, he would stop her.

He sat down at the table placing his wrists on the cool tabletop, still looking out at the stars, contemplating how wonderful it would feel to crush her neck this time around, and see the blood come from her mouth. It would taste so sweet; he could almost feel it now. As he rocked forward in mild excitement, the chair wobbled a bit, causing him to frown. The fact that there was a defective chair in a Tuffle ship was just unacceptable.

Scowling, his mind wandered from the chair back to the cause of his concerns again, though the more he thought about it, the more he felt a rising anger within him. _I may as well check out the cause of the alarms_, Gohan growled to himself, flexing his wrists casually. As he stood up, the chair slid too, adding more to his annoyance. "Damn thing," Gohan pulled it out and kicked it across the room, throwing an extra small blast in that exploded the excuse for a seat into thousands of splinters and smoke.

Suddenly, the straw broke the camel's back as the smoke alarm went off in the room, adding another alarm to the fray, and the sprinklers came down to drench absolutely everything, including Gohan, in tap water.

"DAMNIT!" Gohan attempted to shield his head with his hands, and dashed to the door, slamming his fists on the master touchpad, sending sparks flying in every which-way direction, slightly shocking Gohan's skin.

With a frustrated shout, he did a roundhouse kick to the door, sending it flying into the hall, bursting through another wall as it came to rest in someone's room. There were several screams as Gohan stormed past, snarling in a rage that would obliterate anyone and anything in his way.

During the rampage through the corridor, the alarms silenced, replaced by the captain's voice, of a false alarm, and the current time.

They would be landing soon. My god, and Gohan had yet to find the damn Saiyan.

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–11/26/05–

**WARNING: SUPER DUPER, DUPER, DUPER LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

By all means, feel free to vent about how I have not updated in half a year. I'm well aware of this, and it has not made me happy, either. Graduate school has sucked the life out of me time-wise, though I confess, I've been drawing a lot more; so, if you want to know what I'm up to, check out the DeviantArt link on my bio page.

I do not know if, by getting this chapter out of the way, I may have saved on some writing grief. I just know that all this was not only necessary to my plot,but had to be gotten out of the way, and unless I were to havecompressed the whole plot of the transition (here, it is almost 6,000 words) into one chapter, then my life would have been a living, boring nightmare, trying to convey all these situations in more than 4,000 words each.

The truth is, I love my story, and I will write my story, even if it takes me 10 years. There is a lot to my idea, and I'm sorry if by some reason I may have personally upset my readers by not being able to update, but as it stands, I have NO time to write anything. As it is, I had a mental breakdown a week and a half ago, and my parents had to fly up to help me through a time when I was beginning to get very depressed. I'm feeling a lot better now, but the deal is, I am under a great deal of stress and for a while I was pretty miserable.

I have to now study for finals, which go until December 9th, and then on December 10th, I'm flying out to Amsterdam and Spain for 2 weeks, until after Christmas. The soonest I'd be able to whip out another chapter, if it happens, would be by New Year's, though that may include forcing a chapter out, which I can't do. Chapters have to write themselves. Things will be better this upcoming winter when I only have 2 classes and clinic to worry about (versus 4 and clinic, now).

The story shall go on, no matter how long it takes. Please, have faith in me. I would never let any of you guys down. This story is too big, and has too much potential to ever be forgotten, abandoned, or discontinued. I DO, however, have a bone to pick with some of my reviewers who decided to insult me for not updating, as if trying to pick a fight with me.

I want to make one thing VERY clear: I am NOT PAID to write this. I am NOT, in any way, funded or commissioned to write this. I write when I have the time, am not panicked about upcoming tests or events, and I'm feeling creative enough, and patient enough, to sacrifice 8 – 9 hours of my day to write something to entertain you guys. You have no right to flame me for being too busy to write. If YOU would like to read 1,000+ pages per week for school, do reports, essays, observations, hours, projects, and homework in addition to the reading, and somehow manage to memorize 400+ terms per week, then feel free to do the work for me while I write this story. Otherwise, please be patient, because I am only human, guys, and I'm a grad student barely managing to get by.

One last thing: I promise to respond to each and every review I get. Now that there's a new "review response" feature, I will take full advantage of that. Also, note, and THIS IS IMPORTANT: I am no longer accepting anonymous reviews. If you would like to review my story, feel free to log in, so I may respond to you. I encourage the 'lurkers' of ffnet to make accounts, for those who are not able to log in. Accounts are free, and they really help you organize your favorite stories better, in addition to giving you incentive to one day writing your own fic.

With that said, I hope the next chapter comes a little more easily to me, though all this work has given me some very severe dialogue-block.

_Note: The above Author's Note is going to be removed by the time I post the next chapter._


	63. Arrival

Author's Note (a little long, but necessary):

It's become ridiculously hard to write this story at the moment. I am totally _not ashamed_ to say that I've been totally, totally, totally and utterly addicted to Deviantart. com , so if you like my work, you'll find me updating there almost every day. I've even give up video games in pursuit of drawing. My life has literally boiled down to school, homework, artwork, and studying, leaving very little room or inspiration for fanfiction because I mostly converse with DA artists. However, as I said before in my previous chapter's author's notes, this does not mean I've given up on my story. I have a LOT of story in my head that I have yet to put down on paper – err – Microsoft Word. The plot is still unfolding! However, unfortunately, we're all stuck in this Baby Saga until I can get us out of it.

I've thought of various ways that I can speed up the writing process. One of them dealt with me "(1) plowing through the chapters, as I always do, with super long chapters and tons of events that happen in between. ". This option is honestly my moralistic favorite. I want all my chapters to be long and detailed, but right now I'm having a bit of a writing disorder, so I'm going to have to accommodate it somehow. For, (2), I can "write an outline of everything that's supposed to happen, and then skip the Baby Saga entirely and come back one day after I've gotten my fiction juices flowing again", though the problem here is that a lot of things happen that I actually WANT to describe. This saga and I have a love/hate relationship… I love the saga because I love how far it's come, and how well I've done it, but at the same time I hate it because Evil Gohan goes against everything I've ever loved about Gohan (aka. he's a friggin awesome character, but writing him too long has been making him seem like an AU character instead of relating to GT, and I want to get it over with!)

So, before I give option 3, I want to sort of write a disclaimer for Evil Gohan… the reason I've written him this way. Gohan and Goten, in my mind, are possibly the sweetest, nicest people that Baby has happened to possess. They both retain a mild innocence and Gohan especially would fight only for justice. Baby's managed to manipulate it, filling in that free space that normally was innocent, with utter evil. Because they had that innocence normally, it made them even easier to turn evil. There was less resistance in the way. The reason why Evil Gohan is so evil was because he was literally open to receiving more concentrated, pure evil within him.

Okay, well, onto option 3, now that I got that off my chest (and it's been on my chest for an entire year now), I'll give you the "Mama Bear" option. Since Option number 1 (writing entire chapters) is way too much, and Option number 2 (writing an outline) is far too little, I've figured that Option 3 might work best: "(3): Writing short chapters, concentrating on some main points, but splitting up the chapters, to help relieve the pressure of writing so much, and increase the frequency of output.". Pan no Ojousan, author of "The Definition of Friendship" applies Option 3 and it's seemed to work wonders for her, so I think I'll do that TEMPORARILY, until I get myself back on my feet and/or until grad school lessens up on the work load (aka. it might last a year or so). I know what you're all thinking: "OH MY FRIGGIN LORD, that's gonna be a WHOLE LOT OF CHAPTERS… you ALREADY were gonna push on 300 for your story, but now… NOW…. 0.0 ... 0.o... o.O ... O.O…." ... And yes... I _know_ -.- I know it's gonna make my story like, a bazillion chapters long. But what would you rather have? No story? Or long story? Unfortunately at this time in my life, durinc a hectic graduate school schedule and juggling around artwork, I'm not able to offer any other option.

So hopefully, maybe, this might help get me back on my feet. Please forgive me for Evil Gohan… in fact… please forgive me for Evil _Everyone_. It won't last too much longer… at least story-wise… I promise.

And congrats to me for writing the longest friggin author's note in a while! W00t! I still have da writin' bug inside me after all!

Please check out deviantart . com. The link is on my main page. That's the best way to tell if I'm alive or dead or not XD;;;

Ok onto Chapter 63! But first, a brief review of what has happened so far!

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_Review:_

_After Goku, Trunks and Pan returned home from the Grand Tour, they were taken by surprise; every one of their friends and family had been converted to Tuffles by Baby himself, who beat them home on their return to Earth. Giru was the first to fall, destroyed by Baby-Vegeta's blast, right as Trunks was overcome by the egg laid inside him on the Planet Vidal. Goku was the next to fall, beaten by Baby-Vegeta in battle as an unconscious Pan was whisked away by Hercule and Buu to safety in the mountains. While Goku was saved at the last moment by Kibito Kai, Pan awoke in the snow to find her grandfather's ki was gone, and assumed him to be dead, like everyone else in the world concluded after the fatal blast from which Goku narrowly escaped. Piccolo, meanwhile, had been visiting Ancient Kai in search of training, and instead was assigned a new pupil to train in preparation for the next upcoming battle for the world and all its people. Piccolo arrived back on Earth a few months after Goku was perceived dead, and arrived just in time to save Pan from a terrible encounter with Evil Tuffle-possessed Trunks. They both then escaped to the southern hemisphere and began to train in the wilderness for several months as Piccolo created a new set of dragonballs – the yellow star dragonballs; meanwhile, in Heaven, Goku continued to train under Ancient Kai's supervision with little knowledge of the happenings down on Earth. After discovering that the current Earth was doomed to explode in a few months, Piccolo made a wish on his new set of dragonballs to remove the inner core of the Tuffle planet and instead create a new moon around the Earth – which he had full intention of destroying, until Evil Gohan showed up the next day and accidentally slew him on his mission to eliminate the last Saiyan, Pan, his own daughter! However, in a moment of truth, when facing actually dealing the final blow, Gohan hesitated, and in that moment of hesitation, he was knocked back by Uub, who was supported by Majin Buu and Hercule, who came to Pan's rescue. Buu managed to heal Pan's wounds, but her blood loss caused her to go into a coma for several weeks, awakening with a dramatic haircut under a quarter phase moon and just in time to dress in costume for the last cruiser ship to depart from West City, headed to the Tuffles' home planet. While on the ship, Gohan discovered Pan's presence and sought her out, but was unsuccessful in his searches. Currently, the ship is landing in the Tuffle airport, Gohan once again failed to locate and eliminate the last Saiyan, Pan and Uub are in the vents, Hercule and Buu are missing on the ship, and Goku is still 'training' up in Heaven, with the support of Kibito, Ancient Kai, and Piccolo. It's at this point when the wheels are set in motion and the tides begin to turn... The final battle is fast approaching!_

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AN #2: I jumped a little ahead because I didn't want to deal with any more filler.X);; I hope you guys don't mind.

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CHAPTER 63:  
Arrival

The ship was remarkably soundless during the docking process. There were a few creaks and rumbles throughout the ship as the engine had to kick into gear again, after coming out from their inertial trajectory through space, but they were brief and muffled, leading to a silent landing over the red desert planet. Gohan had been invited to accompany Her Majesty during the docking process, but, due to recent circumstances, he had preferred to sit alone in his chambers, strapped to his observation chair as if he were in self-induced solitary confinement.

The only thought on his mind, as his eyes blankly watched the desert capitol city, was that he was a failure.

He failed to carry out Lord Baby's mission; he failed to kill the Saiyan when he had the chance, and he failed to locate her. She was a pest, still hiding behind the walls of the ship, and he didn't know how he could even begin to break the news to his Lord Baby that he allowed such contamination to even land the Tuffles' own planet.

He didn't hear the knock on the door as he rubbed his temple.

He wasn't in a bad mood. On the contrary, he was feeling a sort of numbed shock at the moment, perhaps a vague sense of depression, as he contemplated how he was not worthy enough to call himself Lord Baby's right-hand man. What was he going to say? Even with the most euphemistic phrasing, he would surely lose his life. That was the least of his concerns, though. He was prepared to die, if it appeased his Lord Baby. No… What Gohan had failed to do, and one mission he failed to accomplish, left him without honor. He would have led his short Tuffle life without purpose in the world. He couldn't even kill on measly Saiyan.

"At least I got the Namek," Gohan forced a snicker as he rubbed his numbed cheeks.

"Sir!"

Gohan suddenly wheeled around, his power spiking in both startlement and instinctive defense. During the split second it took for him to whirl, his table flew back, exploding against the window with a thousand metal and wood fragments, cracking the glass almost halfway down the window. Gohan then stood there with his chair toppled aside and his right hand extended out to the intruder, already heated and glowing toward the intruding Tuffle canine man.

"Sir!" The gray canine dropped all the papers he was carrying and was quick to prostrate himself before Gohan, dropping on all hands and knees. "Sir, I beg your mercy, sir! Sir!"

Gohan's glare could have pierced the canine with a thousand icicles. He didn't even bother to ask the full question. It was more of a rhetorical interrogation as he kept his jaw from grinding his teeth. "What."

"S-s-sir," the canine official quickly tried to ruffle up the papers with one hand, as he continued to stare at the ground, his legs refusing to move, "Lord Baby has come aboard to see you! Sir, he told me he doesn't like to be kept waiting, Sir! I'm so sorry, I didn't know where you were. You were not with the Queen, so I tried your room and you didn't answer your door, so I didn't know if you were in here asleep or maybe if you were in the shower or who knows where you could have bee–!"

"Oh shut _UP_." Gohan kicked the dog in the shoulders, sending him sprawling back against the bed frame. "Your mouth is going to be the _end_ of you, unless you learn to _control_ it."

"S-Sir!"

"…You _son of a bitch!…_"

"Sir?"

"Oh _SHUT UP_, I wasn't talking about _you_." Gohan kicked the chair aside and hovered a moment above the canine before grabbing him by the collar and hoisting him up to shoulder-level. "Where is he."

"S-sir, I'm supposed to lead you to–"

"Then _LEAD_," Gohan shoved the official forward so hard that the dog almost tripped trying to maintain his balance. Gohan bent over and picked up the chair, placing it where the nail alignments should have been. "You stupid mutt" Gohan snorted under his breath as he turned on his heel to follow the canine. "They'd better be able to repair the damage you made me do, or you're going to personally suffer for every day this ship remains grounded for the cracked window."

"Sir, but–"

The official was suddenly met with Gohan's right hand within a hair's breadth to his face once again, and in that brief moment, found himself lacking for words.

"If I were you, right now," Gohan hissed, "I'd just shut up and _walk_."

"Sir," the dog replied with wide, panicked eyes, as he led the way.

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"Something's happening," Pan whispered as she peered through one of the vents in the ceiling, looking down upon a crowd of people, "They're all riled up for some reason."

Following closely behind, crawling through the vents at a tight squeeze, Uub scrunched his face, trying to ignore the sweat accumulating on his brow, "That's great…"

"No it's not. They're not leaving. We need to..." Pan trailed off as she inched along slowly as to not give away their position. "Wait, there!" Seeing a drop-off, she pointed again in the cramped space, but her entire body kept Uub from seeing anything beyond a certain area he felt it improper to look upon, "That might lead us somewhere."

"What do you mean?" Uub frowned as he continued to look down at his hands, "I thought you were trying to get us out of here, not somewhere new."

"I know, I know, but maybe this leads somewhere safer… You know, away from the main floor."

"What do you mean away from the main floor? Isn't that where the exit is?"

"Silly," Pan grinned naughtily, "Of course it is, but we need a good place to change."

"Isn't Gohan still looking for us?"

"Oh who cares about him," Pan tried not to frown, "I'm looking forward to fighting him. He's going to have to fight me sooner or later. Here." Pan reached the drop-off, and squeezed herself to the side as far as possible. It was a little wider here, so Uub could see what she was talking about. "An air shaft."

The shaft was narrow, and stretched both upward and downward in dim-to-almost-zero lighting. Pan's eyes had become accustomed to the dark, and Uub had never had electricity to begin with, so both were able to make out the small details of the shaft well, but even though Uub saw the same route as Pan, he was not quite on the same page.

"So you want to go up or down?" Uub looked to her quickly, but seeing her flushed face made his eyes quickly jerk away, a hint of dark pink threatening to tint his cheeks.

Pan didn't look at him as her eyes covered the length of the vertical vent, "Here, let's go down. You go first. I'll help you down."

"No really, I insist, I can help you."

"I'm stronger than you," Pan glanced to him, "I can help you down."

"No you're not," Uub suddenly felt a traditional moral value about to be challenged, "I can help you."

Pan's eyes narrowed as she felt a temple throb in stubbornness, "Get. _Down_. There."

"No."

"Fine!" Pan threw her legs to the vent, "I can go down on my own."

Uub frowned, "Hey wait a minute, I don't…"

Pan braced her body against the walls of the chute by pressing her arms and legs hard enough against the walls to create friction holding her in place as she edged down, "It's easier when done this way, anyway."

"I don't get you," Uub continued his frown as he watched the girl inch her way downward. "You're really hard to understand, you know that?"

"Hey, I'm not really out to…" Pan's voice faltered as her gaze went blank.

Uub leaned over the vent with a slightly confused brow, "Hey, Pan?"

A sudden feeling of euphoria suddenly enraptured Pan. It seemingly came out of nowhere – a moment of bliss, like a homecoming… Her skin suddenly tingled as if she were by a fire, even though the cool breeze was blowing her hair into her eyes.

_"I promise_…" A voice she had only remembered in her dreams, or at least imagined she remembered, seemed to whisper in her mind for a brief moment. She never even realized what hit her, as she suddenly flashed back to her dream, except this time she was reaching out… reaching…

"Darnit, Pan, don't _DO _that!"

Somehow in her hallucination, she began to focus on her arm being gripped by Uub's left hand. It made no sense. How come she was back here? What happened?

"It's him." Pan's mouth opened slightly as she recognized someone's ki, though her mind was racing so fast, she couldn't place his name, even though she knew it so well. "He's close."

"You're freaking me out, Pan." Uub continued his strong hold on her arm. "Snap out of it."

"I…" Suddenly, another cool breeze whipped past her hair, and Pan immediately realized she was dangling freely from Uub's grasp and totally lost all train of previous thought. "Hey!"

"You almost slipped and fell. Don't do that again!"

"Shhh," Pan hissed as she braced herself against the vent, wiggling her arm free from Uub's grasp, "Do you want everyone to know we're here?"

"What do you mean! You're the one who was screaming you _promised_!"

"Promised what?"

"Who knows! Just don't do that. Just… don't."

Pan snorted and rolled her eyes, "You know what, Uub, you're just weird."

Uub flushed slightly as he began to edge his way down the vent after Pan, "Well you're…" His voice trailed off, though, as he found himself lacking for comebacks, "just.. weird_er_."

Pan suddenly laughed uneasily as she edged her way downward faster, into a darker region of the vent. Somehow, Uub always seemed to make her smile. It was a nice deviation from her current mood. If she had to get stuck in a vent with someone, she was glad it was someone she could come to trust. "You know what, Uub? I like you."

"You… _what?_" Uub almost lost his grip as his entire face flushed red.

"No, stupid!" Pan hissed with a grin, "Not in _that_ way."

"Oh…" Uub suddenly felt a pang of rejection, but would never admit it.

"You men are all alike," Pan sniffed with a dignified air as she hit the bottom of the air shaft, "All jumping to conclusions."

"Hey," Uub frowned and hopped down in the vent with a mild _clang_ that vibrated the entire metal interior. He cringed and tensed as he waited a split moment, sensing if anyone may have heard it, but after a few moments of them both listening, Pan was the first to break the silence.

"This way." Pan began to crawl along the only way the vent seemed to lead. "I sense him over here."

"Who?"

Pan didn't respond, seeming to be lured by something Uub could never understand. Instead, he inquired again, still confused by her former statement, and dazed at her even more previous comment that almost rocked his entire world for some unknown reason, even to him.

"Follow me."

And Uub followed, though, in all honestly, there really was nowhere else they could go…

–––––––––

"But… but…"

The young kai rolled his eyes again, "Just hold still."

Goku's changing voice seemed to crack a little more than usual, as he backed up a few steps, still trying to run through the Kai's former statement in his mind. "But I don't understand! How do I just _grow back_ my tail?"

"You're not." Kibito snapped the large pliers Suguro had transformed into, "We're going to pull it out."

"P-p_-PULL?.!._" Goku suddenly felt dizzy as his backward steps seemed to lose their grounding, "You can't pull my tail!"

"And why not?" Ancient Kai seemed to close the distance.

"I feel nauseous even if someone _holds _it. You can't pull it. I won't let you pull it!"

"Oh stop being such a _baby!_" Kibito continued to stroll forward, clicking the instrument in anticipation, "You don't even _have_ a tail yet, may I remind you."

"Piccolo… Piccolo you tell them! You tell them that they can't pull my tail!"

The Namek who was sitting under the sole tree of the perimeter only huffed once and didn't even care to respond.

"You can't do it! I'd rather have it grow! Give me a drink for it, or even a _shot_. I'll even take a _sho­-_okay maybe _not_ a _shot_ – but anything else! _Anything!_"

"I thought you wanted to help Pan?"

"I will! With all this training you gave me, I'm sure to have gotten stronger!"

"Ouuu, you _dolt_." Ancient Kai stopped walking and crossed his emaciated arms, "That training alone will never get you to defeat that Tuffle."

"But I don't understand!"

"What he means to say, Goku," Kibito sighed as he stopped progressing as well, "is that we were waiting for your tail to grow, but recent events have forced us to take drastic measures to speed up the process."

"Yes, yes! If it weren't for your granddaughter still down there, you wouldn't have to have your tail pulled."

Goku frowned at Ancient Kai's statement, suddenly growing concerned, "What about her? What has changed?"

Piccolo then took his moment to speak, as if he were the only one wise enough to know what was really going on in the situation, "She's about to get herself into some deep trouble."

"Yes, yes! Piccolo is right. Unless you grow back your tail, you won't ever stand a chance at defending her."

"But she can hold out, can't she?" Goku looked to Piccolo as if the Namek knew the answer.

"Goku," Kibito frowned as he rested the giant oversized pliers on the ground, "Be reasonable here. Pan's in serious trouble. She's just entered the heart of the Tuffle planet, where she is going to have to take on the same team that almost killed _you._"

"But she has Uub, right? I trust in Uub. Uub is on my level. I trained him for ten years!"

"Trust me, Goku. Pan needs you."

"I know that, but my _tail…_ I…"

And then everyone seemed to stand still and silent for the time being, as Goku trailed off and took a moment to look at everyone –or every_thing_, as chance had it, since Suguro already transformed into a tool for tortureand contemplated, for a relatively long time, the consequences of every situation that could potentially occur, whether he grew his tail or not. Strategy was never his forte, and it was especially difficult for him to make such an important decision in his current state of mind, but after pondering it, and knowing how desperate everyone was in the current situation, he tried to convince himself that it would be worth the torture to help his granddaughter. Pan was worth them pulling his tail. He knew that, but… When actually faced with it, it was still something that caught him off guard. They had _no_ idea of the pain involved with pulling one's tail. They obviously had never grown one before.

His words seemed to come in slow motion, as Goku seemed to doom himself. "Okay, I'll do it." Though, he had a terrible suspicion that nothing good could come from this…

… And, unknown to everyone at the time, including himself, Goku, for once, was right…

–––––––––

Reds… Reds, mostly.

Gohan found himself gazing at the tapestries lining the walls of the lower level of the travel cruiser. Although the ship itself was relatively small in comparison to the great space station Lord Baby had constructed as the royal cruise line, this ship still had its secrets in its enormities – the lower level being an off-limits zone specifically redesigned to house only the most elite of Tuffles. It was on this level, the great royal meeting chamber had been constructed, for occasions like these, when Lord Baby would have to schedule an emergency meeting before his palace construction was to be finished in the center of the Tuffle capitol city.

Reds… though some purples, too. Purple was a royal color, and there was no doubt that Lord Baby personally ordered the halls to be decorated in his honor. He tended to be narcissistic like that… and it only made Gohan smirk wider, in pride for his race and heritage, despite the fact he knew, or suspected he knew, the reasons behind this conference.

The hallway was well lit, though the dark tapestries tended to dim the corridor. Things seemed even dimmer, as Gohan walked steadily behind the canine officer. The more he had to stare at the idiot's back, the more he was itching to turn him into dog food, but he restrained himself, merely for the sake of his image… and perhaps the disturbing image of even a spot of blood on his uniform while presenting himself before his Lord and Master. Besides, he'd have plenty of opportunity later for getting revenge on the dog… after he would seek out and destroy the last Saiyan, of course… That is, if he lived to see that day.

As he approached the door that led to the main conference room, two of the guards were dressed in dark violet, denoting their uniforms as official bodyguards, though a third figure in navy blue stood among them, talking in a low growl to them before looking up and recognizing the superior officer.

Goten seemed to smile a moment before it turned into a dark sneer. "Gohan…" He brought his right hand up to casually scratch his left elbow; his cigarette still lit in his left hand, "You know, you're somewhat getting a reputation of being called a 'tyrant'."

Gohan nodded nonchalantly to him, addressing him formally as his eyes remained cold, "Lieutenant Son."

"Good to see you, too." Goten smirked with a dark glint in his eye as he brought the cigarette to his lips, "And, I thought Green Bean might have given you a tough time."

"He's long history."

"Tell that to Lord Baby; you might score some points."

Gohan turned to push open the doors, but was stopped short, and became suddenly enraged and defensive when Goten grabbed his left arm to stop him, "And I sure hope you killed the Saiyan," Goten's hand retracted as Gohan jerked his arm away, "Lord Baby seems to be pretty pissed off a.t.m., if you get my drift."

"Don't you _ever_ touch me," Gohan glared.

"Whatever. If you come out dead, it isn't _my_ problem."

"None of what I do is your problem."

"Whatever." Goten dropped the cigarette and crushed it with his sole. "But I ain't comin' to your funeral."

"Drop dead," Gohan smirked to him and opened the doors.

"You, too – break a neck. Just don't piss off Lord Baby even more; you _know_ he takes it out on all our heads."

"Listen, Goten," Gohan released the doors for a moment as he looked at his younger brother for what he realized might be the final time, "Whatever Lord Baby decides for our fate, I am proud to deliver. My life belongs to him. I am at his mercy."

"Just go," Goten rolled his eyes, "He's been waiting long enough as it is."

"See you in Hell."

"Right. Get outta here."

Gohan nodded once to Goten, a brief sneer playing on his lips for old time's sake, as he entered through the double doors, and submitted himself to the mercy of his Great Lord Baby.

–––––––  
–––––––  
–_3/6/06_–


	64. Reset

CHAPTER 64:  
Reset

The large metal doors opened with a high-pitched creak, leading Gohan into a wide, musty chamber in which the stale cool air numbed his expressionless cheeks. At first glance, the large meeting room appeared rustic, but thethick marble columns made it seem almost timeless – an ancient ritualistic meeting ground, darkened by the dim lighting without any windows. The air seemed a little heavier in the chamber, as if compressed by the weight of the entire ship above them, or perhaps it was the anxiety pressing down on Gohan's shoulders.

The room was apparently originally designed to be a ballroom, before Lord Baby had redesigned the interior, so the pale marble floors seemed to reflect the ceiling, giving the impression that the room was twice the size. The large mirrors placed on either side of the room seemed to additionally magnify its aura.

Although large brown furs, skins, and war paintings decorated the walls, one prominent feature of the chamber was the gigantic dinosaur head mounted above the throne. The most prominent figure of the room, however, was the man who sat _in_ the throne, leaning back with narrowed red eyes and white hair. To his side was a purple-clad man with matching hair. At seeing Trunks in the room, Gohan immediately tensed. He would have preferred his meeting with Lord Baby to be private, though it was currently out of his hands.

His Lord and Master then stood, as Gohan approached slowly with intrepid steps. There was something about Lord Baby that always pulled at Gohan, and no matter how much he either loved or loathed the man, he was filled with awe, determination, and utmost loyaltyupon seeinghis creator.Watching him rise made Gohan's knees go weak in a sudden wave of euphoria, and without a moment's hesitation, Gohan dropped on his hands and knees, overfilled and swarming with love and passion for the Tuffle. His entire being pulled at him, and tore all senses away until he became a worshipping shell, filled to the brim with emphatic loyalty.

Gohan would do anything for this man. Anything. He would give his life ten times over if it would make him happy, and yet being with him, around him, he felt almost frustrated, because he wanted to give him even _more_. There was no way for him to express how devout he was to his Lord, and it made his eyes sting and fists clench because the feeling continued to rise in him and made his blood boil, and he felt like he could explode from the passion of these feelings, which were stronger and more conflicting than he had ever felt before in his master's presence.

Lord Baby's footsteps echoed lightly on the marble. Gohan could see his lord's reflection through the stone, and tore his eyes away, as far down as they could go, for even looking upon the reflection of one so God-like as his master was too inappropriate for such a lowly mundane Tuffle such as he.

Lord Baby's steps stopped mere inches from Gohan, as his body continued to prostrate in a tremble of joy, and euphoric delusion. A moment passed in total silence, as if time itself held its breath in anticipation. Gohan's eyes widened as sweat formed on his brow. The opportunity to be with Lord Baby like this seemed almost to strain every muscle in his body. He could never breathe right around the man. All it ever took was just his presence, and suddenly Gohan felt he was reset to a default, before even free will.

"You… _imbecile!_"

Gohan continued to tremble in a euphoria, laden with proud images of Lord Baby dealing him proper justice.

"_Moron!_"

A sudden _WHAM_ slammed into Gohan's side, knocking him over, and sending him skidding a few feet on the tile. Although the kick was not aimed to hurt, and by no means did it take Gohan by surprise, Gohan was still unsure of how to react – whether to be happy to be dealt such a blow by his master, or to once again grovel before his feet. So in his moment of confusion, he just lay there, looking down just before Lord Baby's feet, still sweating up a storm.

"Your brother was _right_."

Gohan blinked a moment in confusion then, caught off guard. He tried his best to quizzically focus on the marble instead of looking up to his master; he wanted to clear his mind of all thoughts other than his love for his Lord Baby, but it suddenly was hard to think over the turmoil that erupted in his mind.

"And here I thought… that I could trust you."

Gohan wanted to hard to speak, but he just couldn't get the breath support to manage a sound. His fingers trembled as they gasped the cool stone floor. Gohan knew was this was about, or at least he thought he knew. He had anticipated this, but yet, living it in action was still so hard to do. And he was still so confused about how any of this had to do with his brother.

"Look at me when I talk to you."

Gohan strained to bring his eyes up to meet his Master's, but could only bring them far enough to catch Lord Baby's gaze in his peripheral vision. He almost felt sick, having to look his master in the eye. He was not worthy.

After Gohan did not perform the task he had commanded, Baby grabbed Gohan's uniform collar and hoisted him up on his knees, forcing Gohan to look up to his eyes. At first, Gohan's eyes widened against his will. It seemed almost instinctive, the fear of looking upon his creator, and yet suddenly he found he could not look away. His eyes were locked – his pupils narrowing in both awe, and a mildly perplexed stare.

Baby's face scrunched with a scowl as he looked disapprovingly over his Tuffle underling. When he formed his words, his lips moved sharply and dramatically, spitting a bit with every other consonant, "You've been… _tainted_."

Whatever Gohan had been assuming to be the issue before was totally swiped from his mind as he was taken aback and caught off guard. "Tainted?"

"Look at you!" With a powerful thrust, Baby threw Gohan to the ground and towered over him in disdain, "You think you've got a mind of your _own_. She's _corrupted_ you."

Blindly searching for words to say, Gohan's eyes widened further in confusion, "I... I don't understand!"

"Look at you," Baby repeated as he snarled down to Gohan's form, "Your eyes show _fear_."

"Lord Baby!" Gohan brought himself to his knees, his face strained in bewilderment, "I have no fear."

Baby then strode slowly toward Gohan, his eyes flashing in a constrained rage. "You went alone. You went out on your _own!_" Baby proceeded to kick Gohan in the side again, though Gohan took the blow, keeping himself grounded, "I told you to _eliminate _the _Saiyan_! I _never_ told you to be a f-king _vigilante!_"

"But! I still don't…!"

Baby grabbed his chin and looked him hard in the eyes, "And this is what comes of it."

"Lord Baby!"

_SMACK!_ Baby's fist met Gohan's cheek with such force, Gohan went flying several feet before landing on the tile with a _thwack_, both of which sounds echoed in the chamber. Before Gohan could sit up, Baby was upon him, and _WHACK_ed his back, slamming Gohan down into the marble, causing debris and cracks to fly and form around his body. And then, as just as suddenly, Baby kicked him in the side, throwing Gohan's form with a an explosive force straight through one of the marble columns. The entire portion of the ceiling, and all its plaster then fell down in a cloud of dust upon Gohan's battered form, but Gohan still struggled to sit up, breathing heavily while his left hand tenderly probed his left cheek where he had been slapped.

"Lord Baby, I don't… understand. I thought this was abou–…"

Within a flash unperceivable by a human eye, Baby was upon Gohan again, in front of his chalked face, snarling in hatred and betrayal. Baby cut him off with his right index finger, which came almost to Gohan's nose, before he retracted it in a gliding motion. Gohan sat there, hypnotized by his master, emotions swirling in him like he had never felt them before.

Lord Baby then took this time to speak, as he almost tenderly brought his pale cold hand to Gohan's bruised left cheek, "You were my prized possession." His eyes almost turned to stone, themselves as they pierced Gohan's black orbs, "My strongest second-in-command. You even managed to make a hit on that Namek. I was so prou–"

"–How did y–!"

The _SMACK _against his stinging cheek again got Gohan to silence himself as Baby seethed, "Don't you _DARE _interrupt me again!"

It didn't even take another moment's hesitation, with Gohan's widened eyes, for Lord Baby to continue his speech, "I was so proud of you. I knew all about it, all along. I felt him die, I saw him die through your eyes. And then there was that _Saiyan_… And _you _were doing _so well_, _weren't_ you? You were fighting at your _prime_. You _almost_ proved yourself worthy of my pride! _ALMOST!_"

"I would have killed her, Sir! I would hav–!"

Another _SMACK _to his other cheek left Gohan spitting blood. Baby grasped his chin and thrust Gohan's bruised face up to meet his hard gaze once more as he snarled at his prey, "You think this is about the _SAIYAN?_"

Gohan didn't even say anything, as his mind was totally lost in confusion. Suddenly everything he thought he knew about the situation was torn from under him, as he realized he was totally blind to the situation. He honestly had _no_ idea as to what his Lord Baby was referring.

"You went ahead and destroyed the _WHOLE TOWN!_ YOU tell me what happened to that Tuffle village! You shut me out, and then you went on a KILLING SPREE. You've been killing _EVERYONE **BUT** THE F-CKING SAIYAN!_"

"But Sir, I–!"

"Look what emotions do to you! THIS is why I eliminated your emotions. And then that _SAIYAN came along_, and made you _FEEL _again, and suddenly, you've become so _obsessed_, you've made a _MOCKERY_ of _ME_ and my _ENTIRE RACE_." Baby smacked him hard on the face again before grabbing his collar and hoisting him up, "If everything were left to _YOU_, EVERY TUFFLE would be WIPED OUT in a matter of _MONTHS!_"

The panic arising in Gohan was almost overwhelming. He had been so blinded by his pursuit of the Saiyan, he had lost all sanity. He was able to see that now. Lord Baby was right; it was his fault! It was his fault that the Saiyan was still free, and everything else Baby said!

What was happening to him? What was going on?

"And now I have to purify you _all over again_." Baby clutched his throat so Gohan couldn't move his head, and in a forceful thrust, Baby sealed their lips together, almost with biting intensity.

The suddenness of the situation was nothing compared what caused Gohan's eyes to widen in both pain and shock. Before he was able to register what was happening, a freezing cold metallic liquid began to force its way down his throat. It made his entire head sting, like a thousand icicles piercing his pharynx, as his throat contracted and his body almost instinctively wanted to reject it.

But then the moment passed, and Gohan's body grew limp with fatigue. Lord Baby let go of his throat, and let Gohan's body collapse on the debris and marble floor.

Everything went cold again for him. It was so hard for him to remember there being warmth. It was hard to remember anything at all, other than the fact that Lord Baby was there, and he was Gohan's master, and it was clear that _that_ was the only thing that mattered.

"There. I hope you can organize your thoughts a little better now, you _fool_."

What happened? What…? No… It didn't matter what happened. Nothing ever mattered, except for Lord Baby. There never was anything else. Lord Baby… Just… Lord Baby…

Gohan swallowed as if for the first time, tasting his own blood, and it seemed to almost stir another round of devotion to his master. His blood was for Lord Baby. His life was for his master. Having already been on his knees, he dropped to his hands again and bowed profusely, desperate and monotonous in his devout worship, "I live only to serve you, Lord Baby."

There was nothing else. No emotions. Nothing… except himself, Lord Baby, the room, and the man who still stood by the throne and never moved from his post.

"Good." Baby sneered slightly as he once again found Gohan's behavior up to par with his expectations. "Now…" He cocked his head slightly as he folded his arms, "As to your _punishment_…"

"Sir…" Gohan bowed even further. It was not even that he was willing to give his life. It was not even his to give, anymore. It belonged to Baby, and he was just a shell. There never was any other way. This was how it was, and was always meant to b.

"Good," Baby glanced to his inferior officer by the throne, and nodded once to Trunks, "Then call in Lieutenant Son."

Trunks pressed a buzzer by the throne, with an empty stare, which rang outside in the corridor. Within the next moment, the large metal doors were opened and Goten entered the room with a deep bow, "My master calls?"

"Come here," Lord Baby beckoned with a mild smile, which was uncharacteristic and if one were wholly sane, might have identified as a bad sign.

Goten strode confidently toward his master, stopping several feet away with a second, even more confident bow. "My Lord."

"Lieutenant Son," Baby said almost a little too smoothly, "I've wanted to tell you something for a long time. It makes me almost proud to tell you this now, because it's getting something off my chest, and I feel it is appropriate for these circumstances."

"Sir?"

Lord Baby beckoned with his right finger, ominously, "Come closer…"

Goten frowned a bit, and moved slightly closer, feeling it a little awkward to be so close, since he was at a much taller standing height than his master.

He didn't have to wait long, though, before a fist came and _SMACK_ed him square in the jaw, sending him flying in the air, though before he was able to hit the ground, Baby phased above him and smacked him straight down, causing an explosion of tile and marble that made a large crack through half the floor, causing a shock wave that sent one of the marble columns toppling on its own, landing only a meter away from Gohan before it rolled to the center of the meeting chamber. The entire ship trembled with the blast, and yet Baby never gave the ship a chance to settle, for the moment Goten groaned in the tile, Baby fired an entire round of ki blasts into his back, causing him to scream in confusion and pain. Halfway through the attack, Baby spit down on him and said in a low, threatening voice, "Keep your power DOWN. I want you to feel the _full force_ of my attack."

Goten never even thought to ask why Baby was doing this to him, and Gohan never once thought to intervene. This was Baby's own matter, and Gohan had been reset, and refreshed, so he didn't even have to wonder why Baby did any of what he did. He was Gohan's Lord, and he was Goten's Lord. That was all that mattered.

After Baby fired more shots, he landed by Goten and kicked him in the side several times before punching him in the gut; and then he punched him again, and again, smacking his head against the floor as Goten took the pain with a hard face, but not a single word of protest.

Baby stopped for a moment and looked up to Gohan, to see his reaction. Keeping his eyes on him, and, spitting out some of Goten's blood that accidentally made it into his mouth, he narrowed his eyes and said with a low, demeaning voice, directed straight to Gohan, "This your punishment."

And with that he smacked Goten's face again, gashing the skin right under his mandible. Goten couldn't hold in the pain anymore, and let out a scream of agony. However, his breath was kicked out of him when Baby kneed him in the stomach and slapped his face on the cleaner side.

"You know what _your_ problem is?" Baby said in a low voice to Goten, just loud enough for him to hear through the blood in his ears, "You look just like _HIM_. _Every_ time I see your filthy Saiyan _face_, I am reminded of _HIM_… of… _GOKU…_"

"L-L-Lo…" Goten struggled to breathe, to get any words out, as his body ached so terribly.

Baby slammed Goten's head down, hard, on the broken tile, and rubbed it into the cracks, sneering as his blood soaked the floor from his deliciously delivered gash at the base of Goten's jaw. It gave Baby pleasure to see his underling suffer. He had it coming for a long time. He deserved this just as much as his brother. It felt so good to have a reason to finally get even with that bastard Saiyan's younger clone, merely for existing and reminding Baby every day how much he hated the Saiyans.

"I want you to know, Lieutenant," Baby yanked Goten's head up by his hair, and brought his mouth down to speak clearly and deliberately into his ear, "That I've found an interesting _flaw_ in my Tuffle creations... The minute you develop emotions is the minute you begin to _fight_ my control."

"S..Sir, I would," Goten coughed up some blood that made its way into his larynx, "I would _never_, Sir. You're my master, Lord Baby, I would never…!"

"Tell that to your _brother_," Baby guided his face to look up at the older Tuffle, "Who has betrayed me. And because he's betrayed me, he's betrayed us all… and even you."

"Lord Baby…" Goten tried to move, but his head was still held firmly in place by Baby's locked grip.

"He's… _betrayed_ you…" Baby hissed in his ear as he led one of his cold hands down Goten's back, "And because of _him_, _you_ are going to suffer."

Goten looked confused for the brief moment as his eyes seemed to focus on his elder sibling, standing several meters away, "Gohan?"

"It's all his fault," Lord Baby leaned over Goten and pulled his head back to an unnatural tension, winning a painful cry from his disposable pawn before he raised his hand and backhanded Goten with another _whack_ on the same cheek as his injury.

Goten tried to hold in the pain, though found it hard to keep a straight face as Lord Baby dug his nails into his shoulder, scratching him so hard, it tore a hole in his uniform and left a trail of fresh blood staining the cloth.

"How do you feel, _Gohan_? How do you _feel_ when you see me do this to your _baby brother?_"

Gohan's eyes never faltered as stared, emotionless, as if somehow drained of all cognitive function, "I feel nothing."

_It's his fault._

"And how do you feel about _this_," Baby slammed Goten's battered head back into the marble, shattering what was left of the tile as he broke Goten's nose and set even more of his blood free on the floor, gathering in a dark crimson mass.

Gohan never said a word, though, as he began to walk toward them.

Goten spit out blood as he snarled, a fury burning in him as he watched his brother approaching. Suddenly, a new wave of hatred and anger made him forget the pain as he focused on his older sibling, spurred by his Lord Baby's words, "F-ck you, Gohan."

Baby relished in the discord, sneering a twisted grin as he supported Goten's chin, as Goten made a distorted face of rage. "Yes… Tell him, Goten. Tell him how you really feel."

"I _hate _you," Goten tensed his arms and tried to lunge forward, "I _HATE YOU!_" He fell back to his knees as Baby's grip tightened on his shoulders, and against his volition, his body began to tremble.

Baby whispered in his ear almost seductively, as he removed a sharp blade from his shirt pocket, "And you love me."

"Lord Baby," Goten grimaced from the pain, holding in the agony that seemed to paralyze and shake his entire body, "I… I…would die… for you."

"Good," Baby grinned maliciously as he gently slid the blade along Goten's right cheek, careful not to break his skin, "Because today… you're _going_ to die."

Baby held the knife on Goten's cheek one moment longer before looking to Gohan, who had stopped only a meter away to observe the scene. Baby grinned darkly at the sight of his second-in-command, a twisted sense of pride returning as he recognized the cold heart within his favorite's eyes. This was all the sweeter for him, to torture his soul. There was no greater rush for Baby than to know he could wreak his revenge on every last one of those ugly, stinking, dirty Saiyans. Baby's eyes flashed red for a moment as revenge and deceit played tricks on his lips.

"_This_ is your _punishment,"_ Baby repeated his former statement to Gohan, his voice grown as cold as the stone floor. "For every time you _fail _me, I'm going to _STRIP_ you of someone you _love_."

The next moment passed in a silence as Gohan studied his brother for a moment, his eyes hard and lifeless, his jaw tense and firm. He scanned his younger sibling as if trying to recall something that may have triggered some sort of emotion, but nothing came to mind. There was nothing there. Goten was just as ugly as Lord Baby perceived him to be.

Gohan's glazed eyes made a slow graded motion over to his Lord Baby, at whom he blankly looked for a good moment before his eyes narrowed and be snorted in mild contempt, "I do not love him."

Baby smiled darkly, "Then all the better." He then wrapped his left arm around Goten and squeezed his face, stabilizing him on both knees. With an upward motion, he curled Goten's head back to reveal a bloodied, and vulnerable, neck, and with his right hand, he offered the blade to Gohan. "I want _you_ to draw his blood."

"G…Go–" Goten's fatigued voice seemed to die as he looked to his older brother, and then to Trunks, in the back of the room, who had turned his head away.

"–Remember Goten," Baby whispered in his ear, "It's all his fault. It's _his_ fault this happened to you."

_His fault…_

Without delay, Gohan readied the blade in his right hand and propped it cleanly against Goten's neck. His eyes, as always, were cold, though now they seemed both dark and vacant. With Baby having purified him again, he was a hollow shell – an angel of death. This was his only goal. This was his final mission.

A moment passed – perhaps for one last breath as time itself seemed to linger.

However, all of a sudden, and from out of nowhere, the silence was shattered as Trunks seemed to spark to life from the back of the room. In a giant leap, he seemed to sail forward with a desperation in his voice, "NO! STOP!"…

…Right as Gohan sliced the blade.

–––––––  
–––––––  
–3/7/06–

A.N.: This is the CENSORED version of Chapter 64. The original has a particularly disturbing scene which I decided to omit from my submission to Ffnet. Only two people in this world hold a copy of my original plan (well, technically only myself since I updated it since sending it to Graelynchan), and for now, I've decided to let it stay that way.

A.N #2: (Personal Note) For Micaela… LOL it's another "4" chapter. They always seem to occur like this. 34, 44, 54, and now 64. The sky is falling, I tell you! With Trunks on top! XD…


End file.
